Background: Despite ongoing efforts to improve resource recovery, waste continues to end up in landfills. Companies are increasingly pressured to address sustainability, particularly under the extended producer responsibility (EPR) frameworks.
Objectives: This article examines how Industry 4.0 technologies can enhance the sustainability of waste collection within reverse logistics systems. By exploring the link among waste management, reverse logistics and Industry 4.0, the study identifies opportunities to improve resource use, reduce environmental impact and boost operational efficiency.
Method: A systematic literature review was conducted using ScienceDirect and Web of Science database, two major databases, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA)-guided mapping study clearly, illustrated inclusion and exclusion steps. Keywords were structured using the PEO (Population, Exposure, Outcome) approach, resulting in 47 articles analysed and categorised into five themes.
Results: The review identifies five key thematic areas in the integration of Industry 4.0 technologies with reverse logistics: collection system design and optimisation, application of core Industry 4.0; stakeholder engagement and consumer participation, policy frameworks and governance and barriers to efficient collection. While Industry 4.0 tools improve routing, traceability and efficiency, their impact increases when aligned with supportive policies and user engagement. Decentralised models, EPR schemes and incentive-driven systems significantly enhance return rates and environmental outcomes.
Conclusion: The synergy between technological innovation, infrastructure planning and behavioural incentives is vital for effective reverse logistics. The review highlights limited empirical validation and calls for research on aligning technology adoption with local policy and informal sector realities.
Contribution: This review introduces a conceptual framework integrating five interdependent dimensions, offering a unified framework for sector-wide sustainable reverse logistics.
Shipment of goods. Delivery of goods, Transportation and communications
Abstract The paper provides a systemic analysis of the layout characteristics of a geodatabase comprised of a large sample of 331 global container terminals. Despite the propensity towards terminal standardization that can be expected from containerization, container terminals demonstrate a substantial diversity in measurable attributes such as perimeter, terminal surface, yard surface, and berth length. This is mainly attributed to site characteristics constraining terminal design and operations with clusters arranged along terminal rectangularity level. A further observation concerns the propensity of container terminals to be oriented longitudinally. Geographical factors remain important, including whether the terminal design is a reconversion of an older facility, an adaptation to specific site constraints, or a new land reclamation.
Shipment of goods. Delivery of goods, Transportation and communications
Background: Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) supply chains have become increasingly exposed to disruptions during and after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The industry is vulnerable to supply chain disruptions due to unstable commodity markets and demand volatility. Artificial intelligence (AI) and information systems as technology enablers provide capabilities that can improve supply chain resilience to recover from a disruption. However, FMCG firms are slow with digital transformation and often do not leverage the capabilities of AI and information systems to improve their supply chain resilience.
Objectives: The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to determine how AI and information systems capabilities can be leveraged to improve supply chain resilience in the South African FMCG industry.
Method: This study employed purposive sampling methods to identify 12 FMCG manufacturers and retailers that participated in this study. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. A thematic analysis approach was followed to analyse the data.
Results: Supply chain integration, automation, monitoring and analytical capabilities of AI and information systems should be considered when designing post-COVID-19 supply chains to deal with increased complexity. Furthermore, supply chain resilience is enhanced by having AI and information systems capabilities such as information sharing, planning and predictive capabilities and decision-making capabilities. This study identified internal and external organisational driving factors, such as reducing costs and competitive factors, leading to the adoption of AI or information systems.
Conclusion: This study creates awareness of the value-adding benefits of AI and information systems that improve supply chain resilience.
Contribution: This study expands on existing literature by identifying various capabilities of AI and information systems that improve FMCG manufacturers’ and retailers’ supply chain resilience in a developing country context.
Shipment of goods. Delivery of goods, Transportation and communications
Air Cargo plays a key role under the global supply chain crisis brought about by COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to analyze empirically the transport patterns and correlations of key commodities of cold chain in air cargo. We analyzed air cargo O-D data by weight for key commodities including pharmaceutical and coolchain products for top 100 airports in the last 10 years. We analyzed weighted centralities for key cold chain commodities traffic using social network analysis methodology. Whereas previous studies focused on unweighted centrality metrics, this study covered weighted centrality metrics, which represent more accurate empirical situation. The international air cargo networks for cold chain are significantly improved after COVID-19. Comparative analysis of cold chain traffic trends for top 10 international air cargo airports was also performed. The role of top 10 airports in the performance of air cargo transportation was found to be more important, especially in COVID-19 period.
Abstract This paper examines the interacting effect of global shipping and trade on climate change in Africa using data on 31 countries for the period 2006–2016. We employ the system generalized method of moments estimation technique for our analysis. The results reveal that, in both the short run and long run, global shipping and trade contribute significantly to climate change in African countries. Furthermore, we document that the impact of shipping on climate change become larger through the aggregate trade channel. Based on these outcomes, policies designed to reduce emissions from global shipping are important in mitigating the menaces of climate change in Africa.
Shipment of goods. Delivery of goods, Transportation and communications
Kenneth Løvold Rødseth, Rasmus Bøgh Holmen, Timo Kuosmanen
et al.
Abstract Comprehensive studies on the impact of market access on port efficiency are scarce, and the problem that market access indicators are potentially endogenous lacks treatment in maritime economics. This paper offers both theoretical and empirical advances to fill these research gaps. First, it pioneers in the use of Stochastic semi-Nonparametric Envelopment of Z variables Data for measuring port efficiency, and further develops the methodology for panel data and proposes an instrumental variable extension for dealing with endogenous market access indicators. Second, it advances the empirical port literature by developing a unique panel dataset on Norwegian container ports encompassing a comprehensive set of foreland and hinterland connectivity measures. Our comprehensive assessment suggests that the role of market access in determining port efficiency is uncertain.
Shipment of goods. Delivery of goods, Transportation and communications
Most share of the Asia-Europe containerized traffic passes through the Suez Canal. The changing fundamental market forces and the influence of climate change initiated the necessity to analyze the alternative passages' commercial viability. Technical specifics of routes contribute to the overall attractiveness and cost competitiveness. This paper verifies the economic and environmental feasibility of a container loop Vladivostok-Bremerhaven along three shipping routes, including the traditional Suez Canal transit and the alternative voyages via the Northern Sea Route and Cape of Good Hope. By applying mathematic modeling, the shipping and external cost components were quantified based on the most reliable data sources and ship operational data to determine the profitability of a singular container route. Despite having high potential, especially in the shorter route length context, the Northern Sea Route was less competitive than the conventional Suez transit. The results show higher profitability for the voyage through the Suez Canal concerning alternative shipping routes besides the lower fuel price case when the Cape of Good Hope route becomes viable. In addition, the research findings highlight the impact of sustainability with external costs involved in cost calculation and the importance of implementing mechanisms to reduce environmental damage in shipping.
This paper presents work on forecasting the fuel consumption rate of a harbour craft vessel through the combined time-series and classification prediction modelling. This study utilizes the machine learning tool which is trained using the 5-month raw operational data, i.e., fuel rate, vessel position and wind data. The Haar wavelet transform filters the noisy readings in the fuel flow rate data. Wind data are transformed into wind effect (drag), and the vessel speed is acquired through transforming GPS coordinates of vessel location to vessel distance travelled over time. Subsequently, the k-means clustering groups the tugboat operational data from the same operations (i.e., cruising and towing) for the training of the classification model. Both the time-series (LSTM network) and classification models are executed in parallel to make prediction results. The comparison of empirical results is made to discuss the effect of different architectures and hyperparameters on the prediction performance. Finally, fuel usage optimization by hypothetical adjustment of vessel speed is presented as one direct application of the methods presented in this paper.
As the three largest central hub cities in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen have played critical roles in regional growth. Nevertheless, these ports face many challenges, such as port handling capacity, environmental problems, and the expansion of the complex transportation system owing to the large volume of goods. Therefore, this study used the slacks-based measure–data envelopment analysis (SBM-DEA) and DEA-undesirable models to evaluate the efficiency of the major container terminals in these three cities between 2018 and 2019. Based on the decision-making unit values of the terminals for the past two years, Yantian and Container Terminal 9 (South) were the most efficient, followed by container terminals 6 and 7. Moreover, the efficiency of the major container terminals in Guangzhou was less satisfactory than that of terminals in Shenzhen and Hong Kong. The results provide a reliable reference for future port investment, and regional development policy in the PRD region.
This paper discusses the efficiency of cooperation among ports under congested conditions and determines an approach for strategic cooperation between ports through model analysis. We develop a bilevel optimization model based on the benefit maximization problem of port authorities and cost minimization problem of cargo carriers. We consider several port cooperation scenarios in the numerical computation. From the computation results, the following conclusions are derived: (1) when each port authority prioritizes its own profit, port cooperation in a congested port would be successful because the cooperation can be beneficial for the carrier; (2) when each port authority considers the benefit of its local customers in terms of shipping costs related to both economies of density and port congestion, port cooperation in a congested port would rarely be successful because the cooperation cannot be beneficial for the carrier and the carrier cannot support it.
Background: In recent decades, accidents involving hazardous goods at seaports have become a major concern worldwide resulting in international conventions and interventions to minimise the impact of such accidents. Despite the improvements in safety measures and the enhancement of cargo handlers’ knowledge over the years, port accidents involving dangerous substances still continue to occur.
Objectives: The study explores the determinants of effective high-risk cargo (HRC) handling at seaports, focusing on Namibian seaports. The study was aimed at establishing the elements of HRC logistics processes and to determine factors influencing the effectiveness of HRC handling procedures followed by the seaports.
Method: An integrated research strategy was adopted, backed by the employment of mixed research methods, through seven key informant interviews and a quantitative survey involving 81 port employees.
Results: The results of the study confirmed the totality of HRC logistics activities at Namibian seaports. It emerged from the study that there were factors that facilitated and that hindered the effectiveness of HRC logistics activities at Namibian seaports. The study confirmed the association between HRC training and the level of knowledge of risk mitigation and emergency procedures, documentation understanding and regulations adherence. This guided in proposing a new theory for the determinants of HRC logistics in developing economies.
Conclusion: The study’s findings provided sufficient evidence to suggest that HRC logistics safety processes at seaports can be improved through the proposed framework. The study’s findings have important repercussions for re-shaping public policy, especially as coastal economies worldwide compete towards becoming preferred logistics hubs.
Shipment of goods. Delivery of goods, Transportation and communications
Northern Vietnam plays an important role in Vietnam's national economy. In recent years, the sea-port industry in the area has witnessed an impressive development and fierce competition especially among local container terminals. Under the pressure of competition, local container ports are competing through attractive handling charges. The paper applies a Bertrand-Nash game model to estimate the equilibrium handling charges and equilibrium market share of each container terminal in the area. The game can be divided into non-cooperative game and cooperative game. Under the cooperative game, three different scenarios are considered. The game results will verify the implication of price competition among local container terminals and present the outcome of each coalitional scenario for further discussion. Keywords: Northern Vietnam, Container terminals, Game theory, Handling charges
Background: The recognised relationship between company performance and supply chain performance has prompted managers, practitioners and researchers alike to seek a better understanding of the performance of supply chains. To this end, many firms have adopted and implemented various supply chain practices and enhanced collaboration and more recently e-collaboration within supply chains.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate how firms can enhance their supply chain performance through supply chain practices and supply chain e-collaboration.
Method: A quantitative design was adopted in which a survey questionnaire was administered to a sample of 500 senior managers representing some 350 firms. A non-probability sampling employing convenience and purposive methods was used. A confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling technique were undertaken to assess the psychometric properties of the measurement scale and to test hypotheses using the path modelling technique.
Results: The key findings of this study were as follows: Supply chain practice was found to have a strong positive and significant relationship with supply chain e-collaboration, while supply chain e-collaboration has a strong positive and significant influence on strategic information sharing. Strategic information sharing has a positive and significant influence on supply chain competence and supply chain performance. Supply chain e-collaboration has a positive and significant influence on supply chain competence, while supply chain competence was found to have a negative and insignificant influence on supply chain performance.
Conclusion: This study concludes that firms can use supply chain practices to enhance their supply chain e-collaboration and supply chain performance. The study also provides a useful framework for analysing the relationship between supply chain practices, supply chain e-collaboration, strategic information sharing, supply chain competence and supply chain performance.
Shipment of goods. Delivery of goods, Transportation and communications
Christopher B. Clott, Bruce C. Hartman, Robert Cannizzaro
Abstract The deployment of mega container ships with a capacity for 18,000 + TEU on major trade lanes is a recent trend within the ocean shipping industry. Larger ships pose multiple challenges to ports and hinterland connections as well as to the beneficial cargo owners. To achieve maximum utilization of their larger vessels, carriers have entered cooperative global alliances on predetermined routes, resulting in new discharge patterns at U.S. ports. These multi-partner networks involve several competing firms which voluntarily and interactively engage in service delivery. Container carriage is increasingly competitive, and requires continuing cost reductions. There is increasing evidence, however, that cargo shippers are less satisfied with the service their supply chains are receiving. Standardizing process performance through supply chain integration and removing inefficiency will be needed to stabilize the international shipping market, but the question remains how ocean carriers will be able differentiate themselves and create improved supply chain performance. This paper suggests an answer through a simple standard performance measurement model. We will suggest that old systems of carrier competition could evolve to greater cooperation and coordination between business competitors, a state sometimes called “coopetition”, by development of standard setting processes for sharing information while retaining specific service delivery structures to provide differentiated value to customers.
Shipment of goods. Delivery of goods, Transportation and communications
The roles of freight forwarders as intermediaries continue to expand and become significant in international logistics. Purchasing negotiation is considered an important business process for freight forwarders and achieving a successful negotiation outcome should help forwarders to manage their business more effectively. This study used the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) approach to identify the critical factors for successful purchasing negotiation for freight forwarders in Korea. A three-level AHP structure was constructed to examine the successful purchasing negotiation. The findings indicate that information (specifically quality of information) is the most critical factor for a successful negotiation outcome for freight forwarders. This result turned out to be the same as the result found from the literature review. Literature review also indicated information as the most important factor.