These past few days, I have learned so much about green supply chain management. Going into this class as a global logistics minor, I had a good understanding of what supply chain management was, as supply chain and logistics are somewhat similar. However, I was not as aware of how to make the supply chain more green and environmentally friendly. Throughout the lectures, reading the textbook, and conversing with my classmates, I feel much more confident in my understanding of what a green supply chain actually means.

A green supply chain is simply one that includes sustainable practices throughout the process of turning raw materials into finished goods. Here, using recycled materials, reducing waste, and conserving energy is a top priority. Companies can take steps towards obtaining a green supply chain by implementing eco-design within their supply chain. This can include reducing any excess packaging, designing their products to be made recycled after use, designing for long-term use, and of course, becoming as energy efficient as possible.

One of the most important key takeaways I have found over the last few days was the concepts of the linear and circular economy. In a linear economy, raw materials go through the process of being transformed into a finished good, where by the end of the process, waste is discarded with not much consideration of how it affects the environment. On the contrary, a circular economy is one that has eliminated waste altogether. The circular economy involves reusing, refurbishing, and of course recycling materials as much as possible. It is much better for the environment and is sustainably friendly when done correctly. In a perfect world, the circular economy is the ideal system that would be implemented everywhere.

When learning about the circular economy, I found it to be interesting how whenever companies invest their efforts into becoming more sustainable, there are exceptional benefits. Some of these include lowered costs, improved brand reputation, a higher market share, and of course an increased competitive advantage. This is due to the fact that more and more consumers are wanting to buy from companies that are making sustainable products. Recent trends from the next generation show individuals are starting to care more and more about the environment and want to see it prosper. We can see this easily in our daily lives through many trends such as reusable water bottles and bags, reduction in the use of plastic, and recycling wherever possible. Consumers no longer want to buy from companies that are harming the environment and are highly interested in supporting green companies. As far as trends go, these are some of the best ones that could come, because they support a circular economy. At this rate, I am very hopeful for the future and the generations that are next to come.