Network modeling for reverse flows of end-of-life vehicles

Product recovery operations are of critical importance for the automotive industry in complying with environmental regulations concerning end-of-life products management. Manufacturers must take responsibility for their products over the entire life cycle. In this context, there is a need for network design methods for effectively managing recovery operations and waste. The purpose of this study is to develop a mathematical programming model for managing reverse flows in end-of-life vehicles' recovery network. A reverse flow is the collection of used products from consumers and the transportation of these products for the purpose of recycling, reuse or disposal. The proposed model includes all operations in a product recovery and waste management network for used vehicles and reuse for vehicle parts such as collection, disassembly, refurbishing, processing (shredding), recycling, disposal and reuse of vehicle parts. The scope of the network model is to determine the numbers and locations of facilities in the network and the material flows between these facilities. The results show the performance of the model and its applicability for use in the planning of recovery operations in the automotive industry. The main objective of recovery and waste management is to maximize revenue and minimize pollution in end-of-life product operations. This study shows that with an accurate model, these activities may provide economic benefits and incentives in addition to protecting the environment. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.