Abstract

ARROYO LOPEZ, Pilar; VILLANUEVA BRINGAS, Mariana; GAYTAN INIESTRA, Juan  and  GARCIA VARGAS, Marco. Simulation of the recycling rate of electronic products: A system dynamics model for a reverse logistics network. Contad. Adm [online]. 2014, vol.59, n.1, pp.9-41. ISSN 0186-1042.

Current trends in the development and innovation of information technologies and shorter life cycles of electronic products have resulted in the generation of large amounts of waste (e-waste) which can potentially cause environmental problems due to the toxicity of some of their components. The e-waste problematic has attracted the attention of governments, companies and consumers that look to identify strategies for the management and proper disposal of e-waste with the goal to protect the environment. This work uses the methodology of system dynamics to simulate how the rate of products returned by individuals and the amount of computers recovered in an open-loop reverse supply chain, varies under different scenarios. The simulated scenarios correspond to the possible combinations of five macro factors: rate of innovation and product life cycle, information available to consumers about e-waste recycling, legislation, e-waste programs structure along with diffusion and publicity efforts. The results of the simulation are relevant to identify over which factors it is convenient to intervene to increase the amount of recycled computers because this amount represents a reduction in the volume of e-waste and an enterprise opportunity to generate earnings from recycling computers.

Keywords : System dynamics; reverse logistics; recycling; e-waste.

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