Integrating operations research into green logistics:A review

Logistical activities have a significant global environmental impact, necessitating the adoption of green logistics practices to mitigate environmental effects. The COVID-19 pandemic has further emphasized the urgency to address the environmental crisis. Operations research provides a means to balance environmental concerns and costs, thereby enhancing the management of logistical activities. This paper presents a comprehensive review of studies integrating operations research into green logistics. A systematic search was conducted in the Web of Science Core Collection database, covering papers published until June 3, 2023. Six keywords (green logistics OR sustainable logistics OR cleaner logistics OR green transportation OR sustainable transportation OR cleaner transportation) were used to identify relevant papers. The reviewed studies were categorized into five main research directions: Green waste logistics, the impact of costs on green logistics, the green routing problem, green transport network design, and emerging challenges in green logistics. The review concludes by outlining suggestions for further research that combines green logistics and operations research, with particular emphasis on investigating the long-term effects of the pandemic on this field.</p

Waste Collection Vehicle Routing Problem: Literature Review

Waste generation is an issue which has caused wide public concern in modern societies, not only for the quantitative rise of the amount of waste generated, but also for the increasing complexity of some products and components. Waste collection is a highly relevant activity in the reverse logistics system and how to collect waste in an efficient way is an area that needs to be improved. This paper analyzes the major contribution about Waste Collection Vehicle Routing Problem (WCVRP) in literature. Based on a classification of waste collection (residential, commercial and industrial), firstly the key findings for these three types of waste collection are presented. Therefore, according to the model (Node Routing Problems and Arc Routing problems) used to represent WCVRP, different methods and techniques are analyzed in this paper to solve WCVRP. This paper attempts to serve as a roadmap of research literature produced in the field of WCVRP

A solution method for a two-layer sustainable supply chain distribution model

This article presents an effective solution method for a two-layer, NP-hard sustainable supply chain distribution model. A DoE-guided MOGA-II optimiser based solution method is proposed for locating a set of non-dominated solutions distributed along the Pareto frontier. The solution method allows decision-makers to prioritise the realistic solutions, while focusing on alternate transportation scenarios. The solution method has been implemented for the case of an Irish dairy processing industry׳s two-layer supply chain network. The DoE generates 6100 real feasible solutions after 100 generations of the MOGA-II optimiser which are then refined using statistical experimentation. As the decision-maker is presented with a choice of several distribution routes on the demand side of the two-layer network, TOPSIS is applied to rank the set of non-dominated solutions thus facilitating the selection of the best sustainable distribution route. The solution method characterises the Pareto solutions from disparate scenarios through numerical and statistical experimentations. A set of realistic routes from plants to consumers is derived and mapped which minimises total CO2 emissions and costs where it can be seen that the solution method outperforms existing solution methods

Sustainable distribution system design: a two-phase DoE-guided meta-heuristic solution approach for a three-echelon bi-objective AHP-integrated location-routing model

This article introduces a sustainable integrated bi-objective location-routing model, its two-phase solution approach and an analysis procedure for the distribution side of three-echelon logistics networks. The mixed-integer programming model captures several real-world factors by introducing an additional objective function and a set of new constraints in the model that outbound logistics channels find difficult to reconcile. The sustainable model minimises CO2 emissions from transportation and total costs incurred in facilities and the transportation channels. Design of Experiment (DoE) is integrated to the meta-heuristic based optimiser to solve the model in two phases. The DoE-guided solution approach enables the optimiser to offer the best stable solution space by taking out solutions with poor design features from the space and refining the feasible solutions using a convergence algorithm thereby selecting the realistic results. Several alternative solution scenarios are obtained by prioritising and ranking the realistic solution sets through a multi-attribute decision analysis tool, Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). The robust model provides the decision maker the ability to take decisions on sustainable open alternative optimal routes. The outcomes of this research provide theoretical and methodological contributions, in terms of integrated bi-objective location-routing model and its two-phase DoE-guided meta-heuristic solution approach, for the distribution side of three-echelon logistics networks

Product Return Handling

In this article we focus on product return handling and warehousingissues. In some businesses return rates can be well over 20% andreturns can be especially costly when not handled properly. In spiteof this, many managers have handled returns extemporarily. The factthat quantitative methods barely exist to support return handlingdecisions adds to this. In this article we bridge those issues by 1)going over the key decisions related with return handling; 2)identifying quantitative models to support those decisions.Furthermore, we provide insights on directions for future research.reverse logistics;decision-making;quantitative models;retailing and warehousing

An Allocation-Routing Optimization Model for Integrated Solid Waste Management

Integrated smart waste management (ISWM) is an innovative and technologically advanced approach to managing and collecting waste. It is based on the Internet of Things (IoT) technology, a network of interconnected devices that communicate and exchange data. The data collected from IoT devices helps municipalities to optimize their waste management operations. They can use the information to schedule waste collections more efficiently and plan their routes accordingly. In this study, we consider an ISWM framework for the collection, recycling, and recovery steps to improve the performance of the waste system. Since ISWM typically involves the collaboration of various stakeholders and is affected by different sources of uncertainty, a novel multi-objective model is proposed to maximize the probabilistic profit of the network while minimizing the total travel time and transportation costs. In the proposed model, the chance-constrained programming approach is applied to deal with the profit uncertainty gained from waste recycling and recovery activities. Furthermore, some of the most proficient multi-objective meta-heuristic algorithms are applied to address the complexity of the problem. For optimal adjustment of parameter values, the Taguchi parameter design method is utilized to improve the performance of the proposed optimization algorithm. Finally, the most reliable algorithm is determined based on the Best Worst Method (BWM)

Vehicle routing problem with cross-docking as part of industry 4.0 logistics

The work presented in this paper has been supported by West Bohemia University in Pilsen (project No.SGS SGS-2021-022 - Financial (stock) markets, modeling and prediction of behavior).The trends associated with the onset of Industry 4.0 are obvious and require a prompt response from the company. An indisputable advantage is the use of the cross-docking strategy, which makes it possible to coordinate all logistics processes and achieve optimization of transport costs while maintaining minimal handling and storage. The goods are directly redistributed within the distribution system to specific customers according to their requirements without the need for storage. This logistic method is very often associated with various types of vehicle routing problem. It enables the introduction and use of Industry 4.0 principles. The aim of this contribution is to find out the possibilities of using Cross-docking within the vehicle routing problem. The output is a classification of five vehicle routing problems and their further breakdown, which are successfully connected with the idea of Cross-docking technology. This is a Capacitated vehicle routing problem with cross-docking, Open vehicle routing problem with cross-docking, Vehicle routing problem with cross-docking for multi-products, Multi-echelon distribution networks and Rich vehicle routing problem with cross-docking. Literature analysis shows that it is not an isolated technology but a tool offering a comprehensive logistics service connecting several processes. Offer various combinations of technologies in conjunction with vehicle routing problems to provide economic benefit and reduce the environmental impact of logistics chains

A Conceptual Framework for Reverse Logistics Performance and Innovation

Green Supply Chain Management has been receiving a lot of attention in recent times. Attention on Reverse Logistics (RL) area has also been steadily growing. Reverse Logistics involves reduce-reuse-recycle as well as redesign, remanufacture, etc. It is a closed loop of the Supply Chain for value creation. Carter and Ellram (1998) discuss that Reverse Logistics can result in savings for an organization. Daugherty, Richey, Genchev, and Chen (2005) analyze where the resources in Reverse Logistics could be committed to achieve good Reverse Logistics Performance. The Automotive after-market in India is also in its nascent stages and has a huge scope for growth. Thus, a study in this area is definitely warranted. This paper gives a Conceptual framework for the RL Performance and Innovation in Automotive after-market with an emerging economy backdrop. The authors of this paper find fewer papers in these areas and this paper aims to fill this gap

Routing Applications in Newspaper Delivery

-The goal of this report is to give an up-to-date account of routing applications in the newspaper business. We describe the newspaper supply chain, and focus on the “last mile” distribution that has been advocated as an application of arc routing in the literature. A literature survey is provided, followed by a discussion of the arc routing model and its adequacy to newspaper applications. A more general and normally more adequate model: The Node, Edge, and Arc Routing Problem, is discussed. Characteristics of routing problems in carrier delivery are presented, together with a case study from the development of a web-based route design and revision system. Finally, summary, conclusions, and prospects for the future are given