A conceptual model for selecting and evaluating third‐party reverse logistics providers

The selection of third‐party logistics providers is an intriguing practical and research question. With the development and advancement of reverse logistics concepts and practice, the selection of partners for the specific function of reverse logistics support becomes more important. This paper is one of the first to address this issue. The factors that play an important role in selecting a third‐party reverse logistics provider; such as a focus on end‐of‐life product organizational roles (e.g. recycling, reuse, etc.), differ from some traditional factors for supplier selection. How these new factors can be included for the selection of a partner is modeled within a decision‐making framework.