Reverse Logistic Processes for Glass Container Reuse

The beer industry has been seeking alternatives to reduce the negative impacts of global warming on its manufacturing processes with the hope of attaining a more sustainable development. In accordance, a three-stage environmental plan has been put forth. The first stage proposes a washing and disinfection process for glass bottle reutilization applying lean principles, which in turn comply with current sanitary regulations. Secondly, distribution and recollection routes have been established after considering a vehicle routing problem (VRP) with simultaneous pick-up and delivery, as well as time windows (VRPSPDTW). This VRP involves beer bottle pickup and delivery at different customer locations, with both early and late deadlines, along with pre-established pickup and delivery demands. Tabu Search metaheuristic was adapted for a greedy algorithm in order to bring about positive outcomes. Therefore, a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) for actual and proposed situations was applied to measure and compare emissions. Finally, with the objective of evaluating its financial impact, a Monte Carlo simulation was applied considering risk and uncertainty impact in all financial outcomes. This uncertainty was appraised through a Weighted Average Capital Cost (WACC) in conjunction with forecasted sales growth. In conclusion, the results showed that the cost-benefit ratio was stable in both the short- and mid-term.