Review the case on 'Green Reverse Logistics in the Electronics Industry', its issues, challenges and where the opportunities are for the industry and consumers.

By using concept analysis first, data and other pieces of information from the case and then applying them to create a comprehensive answer. It would be also nice to see you find

examples from the fashion industry and apply the same concepts to these questions. Answers to each question. Green Reverse Logistics in the Electronics Industry. The path to a

greener supply chain is often paved with forward-looking ideas focused on environmentally friendly manufacturing, transportation, and distribution processes. For some companies,

however, the key to jump-starting supply chain sustainability can be found in reverse. By embracing reverse logistics strategiesincluding returns management, product repair and

refurbishment, recycling of goods and materials, and proper disposal of materials from unwanted goodscompanies can move the sustainability while also cutting costs and reaping

products with a longer shelf life. One business sector that is championing these activitiesand seeing the bottom-line benefitsis the electronics indus-try, largely because of

skyrocketing growth in high-tech gadgets. Thanks to ever-changing technology, top sellers such as digital cameras, cell phones, video game systems, comput-ers, televisions, and other electronic devices become obsolete in a few short yearsleaving electronics manufacturers to deal with mountains of unwanted product. Recycling For electronics

manufacturers, recycling unwanted compo-nents is one key aspect of green reverse logistics. In 2007, Samsung, a global leader in the electronics industry, began its Recycling Direct

programpartnering with take-back and recycling companies that do not incinerate, send materi-als to solid waste landfills, or export toxic waste to develop-ing countriesand has

since recycled 14 million pounds of waste from its consumer goods and IT products. The com-pany has established drop-off locations across all 50 states in more than 200 fixed

locations, where consumers can take unwanted electronics (both Samsung and non-Samsung brands). Our goal is to make it convenient for Samsung customers to recycle old TVs,

phones, camcorders, printers, notebook computers, and other electronics at no charge, explains David Steel, senior vice president of marketing for Samsung North America. The

company has also teamed up with the U.S. Postal Ser-vice and third-party logistics company Newgistics to operate the Samsung Take Back & Recycling program, which enables

consumers to recycle used printer cartridges. Using a prepaid Smart Label, customers can return old printer cartridges to Samsung by simply dropping them in any mailbox. Through

this program, Samsung ensures that empty cartridges are safely reprocessed into their major usable component materi-als (including plastics, metals, and packaging materials), and

then it makes those reprocessed materials available for reuse in new manufacturing for a range of products. Refurbishing When consumers return an electronics product because it is

outdated or not functioning properly, they dont likely give much thought to what happens next. But what happens next is at the heart of business for companies such as ATC Logistics

and Electronics (ATCLE), which performs asset recovery, repair, and refurbishing services. Brian Morris, director of engineering for this Texas-based 3PL, gave a detailed explanation

of the process involved in giving a returned product a new life: When we receive returns from customers, we do a test inspection to find out how many faults the product has. Ifthere is

nothing wrong with it, we can repackage it for sale. If its a faulty product, we iden-tify the failure and determine what it takes to repair or refurbish that product. The next step is to

weigh the economics of the repair: Given the cost of fixing a product, does it make sense to repair it? This goes back to the cost/benefit ofconducting the testing and refurbishment

processes. There must be an acceptable ratio to be profitable. The range is typically 70 to 80 percent of the products original cost. If a product is deemed worth fixing, we put it

through our repair and refurbishment operation, and it emerges like new. If the product cannot be repaired, we look at its individual components. If the plastic housing is still in good

shape, for instance, the plastic can be reclaimed and used to refurbish another product. Batteries are another key component. Most batteries are not exposed, so if they still hold a

charge properly and are in good shape cosmetically, they are often put through reconditioning. After reconditioning, we use them as replacement batteries or sell them to other

refurbishing operations. We also find uses for components such as keyboards and USB cables. Products with components that dont make the grade are sorted into containers and

sent to a recycling house. Recyclers crush and grind plastic components and send them to an injection mold facil-ity, where that plastic is put back into production for new plastics

manufacture. Circuit boards can be crushed and smelted, and the precious metalssuch as titanium, copper, and small traces of goldare removed and sold to another circuit board

manufacturer or even a jewelry house. We are working to help manufacturers utilize refurbished and reclaimed parts so they can cut down on purchasing new parts. This helps them

reduce costs, and it allows us to keep waste from piling up in landfills.

PLEASE ANSWER QUESTIONS:

2. Would Samsung have put in place the Take Back and Recycling program in a business environment that did not emphasize sustainability? Why or Why not? What about ATCLE's refurbishing services?

3. In your opinion, will sustainability become another core measure of operations and supply chain performance, in addition to cost, quality, delivery, and quality? Why or why not?