Reverse logistics is an operation, not just transport
An efficient flow connects generation, storage, consolidation, collection, checking, treatment and evidence. The design should take into account materials, risks, distances, frequency, responsibilities and the data needed for management.
Possible scopes
- Pick-up at head office, branches, shops or customer sites;
- Regional consolidation of small volumes;
- Internal campaigns or permanent programmes;
- Decommissioning of IT assets;
- Flows for technical repair, exchanges and post-consumer returns;
- Integration with inventory and operational records.
Decisions before roll-out
- Define which materials the programme covers.
- Map generation points and expected volumes.
- Establish packaging, labelling and responsible staff.
- Choose the collection trigger and the level of traceability.
- Define how exceptions and non-conforming items are handled.
Useful indicators
Volume by category and site, time to collection, non-conformity rate, reconciled assets and completed documents help keep the process under control. Indicators should reflect data that is actually collected.
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Technical reference
This topic is examined in depth in an original technical report by Ecobraz Emigre, published with a persistent identifier (DOI) in the open repository Zenodo:
- VILLANOVA, Marcio. Qualificação de Prestadores de Logística Reversa: Due Diligence Baseada em Risco para Compras, Compliance e Auditoria (Qualifying Reverse Logistics Providers: Risk-Based Due Diligence for Procurement, Compliance and Audit — in Portuguese). Zenodo, 2026. doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21398879.