Motivators to Adopt Green Supply Chain Initiatives

Literature Review

Over time standards and agreed upon methods have been adopted to help businesses recognize various steps they need to take and areas of practice to review. Sarkis (2003) identified 5 primary areas on how businesses deal with waste generated by their supply chain: reduction, reuse, remanufacturing, recycling, and disposal alternatives. Reduction can be attained through placing conscious efforts in the design phase as well as through improvements in supply chain efficiency, such as just-in-time program for inventory (Sarkis, 2003). The remaining four areas of focus deal with the chain’s byproducts and varying organizational processes and technology that are needed to attain sustainability (Sarkis, 2003). How an organization approaches these areas will have an impact on what business processes they may need to change or introduce.