A review of reverse logistics and closed-loop supply chains: a Journal of Cleaner Production focus

Today, the task of developing reverse logistics and closed-loop supply chains in both developed and developing industries is accepted as a vital need in our societies. The growing interest in reverse issues can be clearly seen in the large number of publications, especially the ones that consider case studies in various industries. Based on its missions, Journal of Cleaner Production (JCP) is one of the most active journals in this field. Therefore, a comprehensive review is undertaken of the publications in the field of reverse logistics and closed-loop supply chains; the selection process is based on the articles accepted online in the Journal of Cleaner Production. The aim of this paper is to review, categorize, and evaluate the related papers in order to provide a systematic view of past work and an appropriate vision for future study. A total of 83 accepted online papers up to 31 December 2014 have been selected and reviewed. The selected papers are then analyzed based on their content and the appropriate developed categories. The results clarify the main trends in reverse logistics and closed-loop supply chain subjects for the Journal of Cleaner Production and the evaluations reveal some suggested opportunities for new directions of research for the journal.