Write a two-page paper, plus the title page and a reference page on the following statement:
Describe one direct and one indirect impact of reverse logistics operations on some local or regional area and compare it to some aspect of the world environment.

•Written Communication: Written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message.
•APA formatting: Resources and citations are formatted according to APA style and formatting.
•Length of paper: typed, double-spaced pages with no less than a two-page paper.
•Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.

ANSWER

Impacts of Reverse Logistics Operations: Soft Drink Bottling Industry

Reverse logistics involves the planning, implementing, and controlling the movement of goods and products from the endpoint of consumption or utilization to the origin of manufacturing or initiation point of order to dispose of, destroy or recapture their value correctly. Reverse logistics explains the process of returning produced goods to their origin of manufacturing. In the soft drink bottling industries, empty bottles are returned from various consumption areas to the manufacturing or production facilities where they can be refilled for other reusability purposes or for the plastic bottles to be disposed of properly (Corrêa & Xavier, 2013). This paper finds that reverse logistics in the soft drink bottling industry directly and positively impact the environment by reducing significant waste in areas, promoting environmental protection and conservation. Indirectly it contributes to public health crises and ecological degradation through the transportation and recycling processes enacted to repurpose, recycle, or recapture the bottle’s value.

A direct and positive impact of reverse logistics in the soft drink bottling industry is seen in the environment. Returning used bottles to the original product/ equipment manufacturer reduces significant waste in areas, reducing environmental pollution and degradation. For instance, according to Mwanza et al. (2017), in Africa, plastics, including soft drink bottles, form one of the highest numbers of solid wastes in our environment, becoming principal pollutants of the environment on land and sea (Mwanza, Mbohwa, & Telukdarie, 2017). In 2017, the Guardian published that Coca-Cola produced over 100 billion plastic bottles and these bottles formed a higher percentage of the plastics seen in the ocean (Elmore, 2017). Hence, through reverse logistics, bottling companies in Africa can become environmentally efficient and maximize sustainability by recycling soft drink bottles, plastic, and glass to repurpose and recapture their value. This way, the colossal waste heaps of plastic bottles lying around in streets and waste sites are significantly minimized; hence, effective waste management promoting corporate social responsibility and ecological protection. Globally, this direct impact has been witnessed by many bottling companies as well as companies in other industries trying to attain sustainable manufacturing. Through reverse logistics, sustainable manufacturing is enabled as previously discarded waste can be reused into useful resources, contributing to environmental preservation and societal welfare through social, economic, and environmental performance (Alnoor, Eneizan, Makhamreh, & Rahoma, 2019).

Indirectly, reverse logistics contributes to public health crises and ecological degradation through the transportation and recycling processes enacted to repurpose, recycle, or recapture the bottle’s value. The main aim of reverse logistics is to return already consumed or produced goods and products back to the production point to dispose of, destroy or recapture their value correctly. The processes initiated in recycling plastic bottles or properly disposing of them in facilities are associated with increased water and air pollution. Emissions from the recycling products are released into the atmosphere, and chemicals used to destroy the bottles and possible liquidized waste are discharged into water bodies. Once released, people living nearby will consume and use the water for their basic needs such as drinking or cooking, such as developing African economies, resulting in water-borne diseases. Moreover, the contaminated and polluted air in the atmosphere will gradually result in air-born infections among people living near such facilities or plants (Mwanza, Mbohwa, & Telukdarie, 2017).

In conclusion, reverse logistics presents both positive and adverse impacts that directly and indirectly affect business processes, the environment, and people. These impacts are experienced at all levels, including locally, regionally, and globally. Therefore, it is vital that when companies realize sustainable manufacturing, attain corporate social responsibility and overall sustainability, reverse logistics is conducted in a green and sustainable manner to minimize adverse implications but maximize positive impacts.

References

Alnoor, A., Eneizan, B., Makhamreh, H., & Rahoma, I. A. (2019). The Effect of Reverse Logistics on Sustainable Manufacturing. International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, Vol 9(1), pp; 71-79. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333324839_The_Effect_of_Reverse_Logistics_on_Sustainable_Manufacturing.

Corrêa, H. L., & Xavier, L. H. (2013). Concepts, design, and implementation of reverse logistics systems for sustainable supply chains in Brazil. Journal of Operations and Supply Chain Management, Vol 6(1), pp; 1-25.

Elmore, B. (2017, May 2). Plastic bottles are a recycling disaster. Coca-Cola should have known better. Guardian, pp. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/may/02/plastic-bottles-coca-cola-recycling-coke.

Mwanza, B. G., Mbohwa, C., & Telukdarie, A. (2017). The Significance of Reverse Logistics to Plastic Solid Waste Recycling in Developing Economies. International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325046448_The_Significance_of_Reverse_Logistics_to_Plastic_Solid_Waste_Recycling_in_Developing_Economies.