Samenvatting

A topic of great social relevance in the current century is implementing innovative sustainable production processes. Globally waste management is one of the biggest sustainability challenges. With urbanization and a growing global population, the use of various products and discarding their waste has increased as a consequence. As a result, the field of reverse logistics has gained importance in recent years due to such environmental concerns, corporate social responsibility, and sustainable competitiveness. The use of reverse logistics has become a catalyst in streamlining a circular economy. This study aims to contribute to the field with a case study from North European medical supplies industry. The study investigates the supply chain of a medical supplies company, identifies opportunities for circularity based on the 9R framework and evaluates whether reverse logistics is economically feasible for a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME). Our study offers valuable insights for academics and practitioners in understanding the decision-making criteria for SMEs in the transition to circularity and reverse logistics. Our study also contributes to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 11, 12 and 13.