Supply Chain Sustainability—Drivers, Inhibitors, Solutions - Technology Management for Sustainable Production and Logistics - page 72

(Nunes and Bennett 2010 ). Reduction initiatives relate to water and energy, materials
and toxic substances. The main source of environmental impact in production is
usually the paint-shop, so one of the main improvements was achieved when Toyota
converted its topcoat paints to a water-borne type. Reverse logistics initiatives have
also promoted the collection and recycling of end-of-life parts, working with dealers
and parts distributors (Nunes and Bennett 2010 ).
Such actions may be supported by the company's eco-design targets for
dismantling and recycling. Ensuring that the final disposal and eco-efficient
backward flow of end-of-life products are taken responsibly became a focus of
LSPs. Sometimes it lead to focus on reverse logistics as a driver for LSP selection
(Wolf and Seuring 2010 ).
4.2 Logistics Service Providers and the Sustainability
It is widely known that the transportation process has a great impact on sup-
ply chain sustainability. There are many opportunities for LSPs to improve their
approach to eco-efficiency. The main focus of LSPs in terms of sustainability
points directly towards their operations connected with transport route optimiza-
tion, drive to economize, packaging, recycling looking for recyclable and reusable
materials. Lieb and Lieb ( 2010 ) explain the extent to which large logistics service
providers have committed themselves to environmental sustainability objectives.
In pursuing sustainability goals, many of the LSP have closely worked with cus-
tomers, transportation companies, trade associations, non-governmental organiza-
tions, and government agencies.
Fields of technological innovation in logistics contain such solutions like:
• usage of new means of transport, in context both quantitative (e.g., size of con-
tainerships) and qualitative (higher standards and security),
• other solutions in the ield of transport, connected for example with the low of
information that helps to reduce a number of empty runs,
• solutions promoting quite new ways of transport like usage of drones for goods
transport,
• new eco-eficient methods of reloading, warehousing, storage.
The other example is a case of TNT company (LSP) which introduced new
interesting solution, based on portable agency. It consists of specialized
semitrailer which performs as a sorting installation and portable warehouse,
which may it 11 containers with packages. It also consists of 3 three cycles.
They are used to transport packages (taken from semitrailer) to receivers. This
solution has been implemented in Brussels and appeared to be very useful
in a congested city. It was financed by European Union, within the program
Straightsol, supporting such environmental friendly initiatives (Mobilny
oddział kurierski 2014 ).