LCA approach to management of defective products in reverse logistics channels

Reverse logistics and its processes are crucial in modern companies activities. One of the very important problems in this matter is the management of returns. As returned products are products with defects, there is always the possibility for proper treatment. Decisions about further management of defective product is difficult, regarding the product and its parts environmental impacts. Here, the useful tool is life cycle assessment (LCA), that can support reverse logistics processes in case of defective products management. LCA is used to assess environmental impact of cellular phone and 6 possible scenarios of its handling in case of any defects. The assessment shows that reuse and repair scenarios are helpful in mitigating environmental impact in life cycle while waste scenario and also recycling scenario have much higher impact.