A Conceptual Framework for E-waste Management through Reverse Logistics: A Case Study from Australia

Increasing competition between the supply chains has persuaded companies to seek new dimensions of competitive advantage. Therefore, reverse logistics practices have become a focal point which empowers profit and revenue maximization. Furthermore, reverse logistics practices allow companies to manage the limited resources and recover the monetary value of end of life cycle products. Thus, it could be speculated that reverse logistics has become a fundamental element of economic competitiveness which enables the execution of proper environmental practices. However, in contrast to the e-waste generation only a low proportion is being reprocessed while majority ends up in landfill. This research investigates the role of reverse logistics in e-waste management within the Australian consumer electronics industry. A real world case study has been selected to develop a return management system which maximizes the performance in terms of recovery and efficiency which could be adopted by country wide organizations. Questionnaires and interviews were utilized for primary data collection and through the collected data it was evident that Australia cannot sustain by managing the forwards supply chain alone. Therefore, in order to reduce the e-waste generation, organizations within Australia must evaluate alternative value recovery operations and strategies adopted by countries which have implemented efficient e-waste management practices.