LA LOGÍSTICA INVERSA, SU RELACIÓN CON LA RESPONSABILIDAD SOCIAL EMPRESARIAL Y EL DESARROLLO SOSTENIBLE

Abstract

The concepts behind Stakeholders Theory, Reverse Logistics (RL), Closed Loop Supply Chain, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and Sustainable Development (SD) are entwined and sequentially related. The application of Stakeholders Theory to business organizations focuses into the search for solutions to the problems imposed by stakeholders, including, primary, their customers and end users. This orientation, specially towards customers, pushes RL operatively, as it involves “procedures to move and treat products from their final destination towards their origin for value recovery or their proper disposal”. At the same time, RL works as a necessary condition to structure a Closed Loop Supply Chain with the goal of achieving a “zero waste” policy. This Closed Loop Supply Chain provides a perspective to Corporate Social Responsibility which, in turn, is key to a Sustainable Development. The ISO 26000 standards refer to the explicit relation to RL when mentioning the procedures for withdrawal and recovery of products. These standard also include SD on a special section about the environment and how to take care of it.