Originally published at Global Site Plans
Green Logistics: Improving the Environmental Sustainability of Logistics (2nd edition, Kogan Page), by Alan C. McKinnon et. al, is a 2013 publication covering the best green-practices in supply-chain management.
Lead author McKinnon has written a number of articles and books evaluating supply chains, as have the other contributing authors. I evaluated the second edition of this book. A third edition is due for release in 2015.
Green Logistics begins with the historical evolution of the field, describing the origins of supply-chain greening from an initial, instinctual “public dislike of heavy lorries (trucks),” to the current examination of waste management, warehousing, route-optimization, fuel economies, and food miles.
The essays look far beyond the simple notion of “the lorry menace.” Green Logistics is a collection of academic research that discusses issues pertinent to supply chains—with heavy emphasis on those matters facing freight networks. The book covers the nuances of greening the logistics field, and demonstrates its conclusions with charts and graphs that illustrate different polls and findings. The data, while being large-in-part a collection of UK statistics, has value for any location.
The final essay of Green Logistics is devoted to the role of government in supply chains, they being responsible for regulatory constraints on supply-chain logistics. This essay may very well hold the most important message of the book—a strong argument for implementing green logistics and an overview of yet-unmet policy needs, as well as goals that could help facilitate the practice.
It must be said that Green Logistics is not a casual or quick read. In many ways, its subjects are very technical and the book can come across as an advanced college text (it certainly weighs as much). The book’s largest use may be as a key shelf reference for a supply-chain specialist. Still, the nature of the material makes Green Logistics a prescient manual for every efficiency-seeking manager and cost- or eco-conscious executive.
Could your workplace benefit from greening its supply chain? Does it already? Does your city have any policies set in place regarding supply chain management and sustainability? Share your city’s story in the comments below.
“Green Logistics: Improving the Environmental Sustainability of Logistics” is a Kogan Page publication. The Grid is giving away three FREE copies of the book. Make sure you go to the Rafflecopter Giveaway to enter to win your free copy of “Green Logistics.”
Credits: Images by Dan Malo. Data linked to sources.