Understanding Sustainability in Supply Chain

Sustainability, going green, managing our carbon footprint--all of these concepts are highly influential not only in how consumers make buying decisions, but how they live their daily lives. In the latest episode of Rethinking Supply Chain podcast, host John Abrams of Venzee and Diana Chen discuss some of the unexpected ways companies reckon with sustainability in their supply chains.After a brief discussion about vaccine distribution, John and Diana explore all the factors that can contribute to sustainability efforts in supply chain--emissions, raw materials, fuel costs, distribution of product, and more. Consumers tend to focus on ethically sourced raw materials and fair trade standards when making determinations about sustainability, but there are other factors in play.John shares a unique example about how climate change is impacting the way companies warehouse goods and forcing them to consider alternative energy sources to heat and cool warehouses. He also reminds us that while supply chains are generally optimized for goods from manufacturer to consumer, the process of returning purchased goods is wildly inefficient in comparison.Listen now to hear John’s perspective on why a big part of sustainability is simply giving consumers enough information to make the right purchase the first time.Don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. See you in the next episode.