This week, we discussed chapter 1, 2, and 6. Before this class, I only knew the general overview of the supply chain. Throughout this week, I learned about how supply chain is the distribution of products and services through the factory level and onto the retail level. I learned that communication through the different stages can be difficult, and planning is essential to keep businesses afloat. I learned that there can be multiple forms of supply chains. The closed loop supply chain allows products to be kept in a circular motion, which allows sustainable practices to be present within the distribution process. This is unlike the traditional, linear method, where once products are delivered, they are completed. The products do not get to live another life. Within the closed loop supply chain, reverse logistics can be applied. This means that products can be recaptured from the original point of origin, which highlights sustainability. I learned that eco-design is important to the supply chain. I was not aware that 70 to 80 percent of costs to produce products are determined and fixed within the design stage of the product’s life cycle. This allows companies to consider environmentally friendly designs, or even incorporate the reuse of materials. This eco-design is considered the ultimate pollution prevention tool. There are five major steps for creating an eco-design product. Companies must assess environmental impacts, research the market, run ideas workshops through brainstorming, select design strategies, and design the product. Certain tools that should be added to eco-design products include simplicity, are easily obtainable, are precisely defined, are objective, valid, robust, and enhances understanding. Another topic I enjoyed learning about was pollution and how the supply chain is affected by it. Extraction is causing our planet to run out of resources, which in turn, trashes out planet. One-third of the natural resources have been consumed because of toxic chemicals. Humans create four billion pounds of pollution per year, which does not put our world in a good position for the future. This affects the supply chain by influencing companies to sell toxic junk as quickly as possible. 99 percent of products are trashed within six months. This has led to a decrease in overall happiness within our population. We need to address the problem that is creating a harmful environment for our future. Through a green supply chain, the world can have solutions to fix our damaged environment.