Consideration of supply chain environmental impacts during packaging development: theory versus practice
Author
Summary, in English
Purpose: The purpose is to provide insight into how companies in practice work during packaging development to reduce negative environmental impacts along supply chains and to compare their practical approaches with the theoretical concepts presented in the literature.
Design/methodology/approach: The research approach is explorative and based on nine cases (26 semi-structured interviews) in the food and manufacturing industries in Sweden. Data were collected from three managerial perspectives: the packaging manager’s, the logistics manager’s, and the environmental manager’s.
Findings: The findings indicate that companies have knowledge about the relationship between packaging design and environmental impacts in supply chains. They also commonly apply a variety of green packaging approaches. Companies seem, however, to lack guidance on how to handle potential trade-offs and are unable to fully utilize the economic and environmental benefits of green packaging approaches due to internal and external barriers.
Research limitations/implications: The study analyses packaging development practices at a limited number of companies in the Swedish manufacturing and food industry. Based on the findings, propositions are provided. Future research could test these propositions.
Practical implications: The study suggests a number of concrete opportunities on how companies can overcome some of the experienced barriers. The analytical framework provides practitioners with a structured overview of packaging approaches that can reduce environmental impacts along the supply chain.
Social implications: The results indicate that companies seem to focus on green packaging approaches that entail clear economic benefits, which is sub-optimal from a societal perspective.
Original/value: This research provides empirical data on how theoretical concepts about green packaging development are applied in industry.
Design/methodology/approach: The research approach is explorative and based on nine cases (26 semi-structured interviews) in the food and manufacturing industries in Sweden. Data were collected from three managerial perspectives: the packaging manager’s, the logistics manager’s, and the environmental manager’s.
Findings: The findings indicate that companies have knowledge about the relationship between packaging design and environmental impacts in supply chains. They also commonly apply a variety of green packaging approaches. Companies seem, however, to lack guidance on how to handle potential trade-offs and are unable to fully utilize the economic and environmental benefits of green packaging approaches due to internal and external barriers.
Research limitations/implications: The study analyses packaging development practices at a limited number of companies in the Swedish manufacturing and food industry. Based on the findings, propositions are provided. Future research could test these propositions.
Practical implications: The study suggests a number of concrete opportunities on how companies can overcome some of the experienced barriers. The analytical framework provides practitioners with a structured overview of packaging approaches that can reduce environmental impacts along the supply chain.
Social implications: The results indicate that companies seem to focus on green packaging approaches that entail clear economic benefits, which is sub-optimal from a societal perspective.
Original/value: This research provides empirical data on how theoretical concepts about green packaging development are applied in industry.
Department/s
Publishing year
2014
Language
English
Pages
164-181
Publication/Series
Proceedings of the 26th Nofoma Conference
Document type
Conference paper
Publisher
The Nordic Logistics Research Network (Nofoma)
Topic
- Production Engineering, Human Work Science and Ergonomics
- Other Mechanical Engineering
Keywords
- Packaging Development
- Green Packaging
- Green Logistics
- Case Study
- Supply Chain Environmental Impact
Conference name
26th Annual NOFOMA Conference, 2014
Conference date
2014-06-11 - 2014-06-13
Conference place
Copenhagen, Denmark
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISBN: 978-87-997433-0-8