The “green” or environmental sustainability movement has taken hold throughout the world. Its staying power is confirmed by that fact that environmental emphasis in organizations did not decrease during the recent global recession, but rather increased. However, since most organizations rely heavily on their supply base for providing components, materials, and services that become part of their final products, organizations must revisit their sourcing processes and choices to have a real impact on the environment. This book begins with an introduction to the idea of sustainability and to the concept of what it means to source to support an organization’s green initiatives, and why this is important from a holistic, lifecycle perspective. The initial chapters will also provide a point of view of how green sourcing fits into the organization’s entire portfolio of sustainability initiatives. Examples of industries and associations that lead the way in green sourcing will be presented. In addition, best practices in green sourcing will be discussed. The book also provides a perspective on how organizations can encourage and support their suppliers in pursuing green initiatives, and what types of initiatives provide a good starting point.

The integration of eco-friendly aspects, tools and solutions into a conventional supply chain leads to environmentally friendly global processes in the manufacturing and service industry. This book offers a selection of chapters that explain the impact of green supply chain solutions on value-making chains. The aim of this book is to help students at all levels as well as managers and researchers to understand and appreciate the concept, design and implementation of green supply chain solutions in the Industry 4.0 era.

We look at green supply chain management from the vantage point of the triple bottom line: environmental, economic, and social. There are many sustainability decisions that can be made on which we have an incredible impact. Usually, managers have the opportunity to make decisions in five areas of the supply chain: plan, source, make, deliver, and return. Nowadays, consumers care more about where and how the products are produced and delivered, what they are made of, and who made them. Regulatory bodies are continuously creating pressure on firms to adopt eco-friendly practices in their businesses for better environmental sustainability. As a result, firms have just two choices: to adopt green and/or eco-friendly practices in their supply chain operations to fulfill their customers' and regulatory bodies' requirement or not to adopt green practices and lose their business position and potential customers.

Green Healthcare Institutions : Health, Environment, and Economics, Workshop Summary is based on the ninth workshop in a series of workshops sponsored by the Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences, Research, and Medicine since the roundtable began meeting in 1998. When choosing workshops and activities, the roundtable looks for areas of mutual concern and also areas that need further research to develop a strong environmental science background. This workshop focused on the environmental and health impacts related to the design, construction, and operations of healthcare facilities, which are part of one of the largest service industries in the United States. Healthcare institutions are major employers with a considerable role in the community, and it is important to analyze this significant industry. The environment of healthcare facilities is unique; it has multiple stakeholders on both sides, as the givers and the receivers of care. In order to provide optimal care, more research is needed to determine the impacts of the built environment on human health. The scientific evidence for embarking on a green building agenda is not complete, and at present, scientists have limited information. Green Healthcare Institutions : Health, Environment, and Economics, Workshop Summary captures the discussions and presentations by the speakers and participants; they identified the areas in which additional research is needed, the processes by which change can occur, and the gaps in knowledge.

Every organization, public and private, no matter what its size, purchases goods and services. Large organizations also have considerable influence over the practices of their suppliers. As greener purchasing practices have become more common in large organisations, the implications for companies in the supply chain have similarly increased. Yet greener purchasing policies remain the exception rather than the norm in large organizations. Why is this? And how can environmental purchasing practices that have produced tangible business benefits for a number of companies worldwide receive wider take-up? Greener Purchasing: Opportunities and Innovations has been published to facilitate the development and dissemination of best practice in environmental supply chain and procurement management worldwide. Divided into four sections, covering "The Public Sector", "The Private Sector", "Innovations" and "Case Studies", this book brings together international expertise from four continents, including contributions from organisations such as the US EPA, Environment Canada, Procter & Gamble, Xerox and The Body Shop, as well as describing burgeoning new initiatives such as the Japanese and European Green Purchasing Networks. It provides a number of checklists and examples on how to establish and maintain successful greener purchasing and supply chain practices in order to bring not only environmental, but business value to organisations of all sizes. The book is essential reading for purchasing officers, environmental managers, CEOs, consultants, academics and students interested in the topic around the world.

This book analyzes environmental supply chain management theory and practice, with contributions by a international experts. Coverage includes concepts and principles of green supply chain management; studies of practices and concerns in industries worldwide; tools for environmental supply chain design and development; and case studies of green supply chain practices. Professionals, policy makers, researchers and students will value this book for the insights it provides into a topic of growing concern.