Closed-loop supply chain activities and derived benefits in manufacturing SMEs

Purpose - Closing the loop at the end of products' useful life is earning increased attention from industry and academia. The recent or upcoming enactment of regulations regarding the management of end-of-life products is forcing manufacturers to consider strategies to increase the residual value of the products they make. Facilitating the residual value extraction process for end-of-life products is a challenging issue deserving investigation. This paper proposes to investigate this issue. Design/methodology/approach - This paper analyzes empirical evidence from a sample of 205 environmentally responsive SMEs operating in the fabricated metal products and electric/electronic products industries. A coherent research model is developed which classifies the closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) activities along two dimensions, the forward and reverse supply chains. Findings - This first proposed taxonomy has been shown to be relevant for both sectors. The results also demonstrate that firms' abilities to implement CLSC environmental initiatives vary in their intensity and in their locus along the product value chain. Furthermore, benefits derived from these initiatives seem to vary according to the strategy favored by the firms. Originality/value - This research is valuable for those firms interested in implementing CLSC strategies in a synergistic manner with their forward supply chain.