Green Supply Chains. Management Research Paper Assignment

Green Supply Chains
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Green Supply Chains
Introduction
Green supply chains or green chain supply management is a concept which seeks to integrate environmental-friendly aspects into supply chain management. As a result, green supply chains ensure that conventional supply chain management practices integrate eco-friendly aspects (Fortes, 2009). Nowadays, consumers are concerned about several issues, such as companies' green processing and supply chain processes and the recycling processes. Over the years, organizations have made significant progress in their bid to establish environmental and social sustainability in their operations and supply chain activities. According to Gajendrum (2017), green supply chain management is a concept whereby individuals and organizations incorporate environmental thinking into supply chain management activities. In this regard, most organizations have been compelled to review their green and environmental policies by including practices such as conducting audits related to environmental viability and acting in line with certifications such as ISO 14001 (Fortes, 2009). Therefore, the concept of green supply chains has been an essential component in the operations of organizations as it seeks to ensure that their supply chain management practices uphold environmental sustainability.
Scope of Green Supply Chains
The scope of green supply chains entails several processes that seek to ensure that environmentally conducive practices are maintained during organizations’ day to day activities. According to Gajendrum (2017), the scope involves guaranteeing the implementation and monitoring of environmentally friendly approaches. More so, the range consists of the creation of control practices through reducing, reusing, reworking, re-furbishing, re-claiming, recycling, and re-manufacturing. In most cases, these control practices aim to reduce and minimize waste resulting in different types of pollution. Gajendrum (2017) states that waste is one of the factors that are perceived as a barrier to environmental protection during various manufacturing/ production activities and operations carried out in organizations. This is because most manufacturing and production processes are described as being catalysts of destroying the environment by generating waste and depleting natural resources. To avert this, organizations have adopted control practices that enhance greenhouse supply chains by ensuring their operations reduce or eliminate the prevalence of waste generation and destruction of natural resources.
Green supply chains have been extended to ensure that organizations incorporate reactive measures that seek to achieve environmental management programs as well as proactive practices implemented through the various R's methods (Dube & Gawand, 2011). In this sense, green supply chains are a combination of both managerial approaches and organizational operations. In essence, the process aims to satisfy consumers by providing them with environment-friendly products and services produced through green practices/approaches. As a result, organizations have to enhance their processes by integrating innovative practices that take environmental c...