Exploring reverse supply chain management practices in Turkey

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the current state of reverse supply chain management (RSCM) initiatives in several Turkish industries. Design/methodology/approach – This study is based on an exploratory research regarding RSCM activities of Turkish automotive, white goods, electric/electronics, and furniture industries. The sample consists of all the companies included in the Top‐500 Industrial Enterprises List of The Assembly of the Istanbul Chamber of Industry (ISO). Findings – The research findings show that the RSCM initiatives in the considered industries are still in a very early stage. Companies' involvement in product returns is mostly due to the legislative liabilities, and system inadequacies are emphasized as the most important reason for not being able to implement an efficient RSCM. Research implications/limitations – This paper investigates the reverse supply chain practices of selected industries in Turkey and aims to enable researchers to use this study as a building block in understanding these practices and related problems. The limitation of this study is to solely include the medium and large‐sized companies in the industries. Practical implications – Reverse supply chain operations contribute to the economic sustainability by reducing waste and saving energy and material. In this research, an empirical study in the electronics, white goods, automotive and furniture industries is conducted, and potential research opportunities are discussed to streamline reverse supply chain activities in the industries. Hence, this study can be viewed as an attempt to increase the level of awareness on reverse supply chain issues. Originality/value – No field study has been conducted to analyze reverse supply chain activities of the industries in Turkey. This research is a pioneering study and will provide a benchmark for the various research activities on related topics.