Reverse Logistics:Opportunity to Reduce Costs by Integrated Value Chain Management

The article discusses an aspect of logistics that is taking on increasing importance for companies. While traditional logistics deals with the outflow of products, reverse logistics is concerned with the return of products, materials and parts to the company’s productive process. Due to stricter environmental legislation and greater environmental awareness among consumers, companies are not only using more recycled materials, but also having to worry more about ecologically correct disposal of their products at the end of their life cycle. Besides this, many firms have been making reverse logistics a strategic part of their business planning. All this is prompting the development of reverse logistics in companies. In the Brazilian case, according to reverse logistics specialists, this area is now considered an important element in strategic planning, for compliance with current environmental legislation. This work discusses opportunities for firms to reduce costs through valuechain management, with the involvement of all components. The method used is a case study of a soft drink bottler.