A Stochastic Multi-Objective Model for Optimal Design of Electronic Waste Reverse Supply Chain

The consumption of electronic products is growing rapidly, resulting in considerable amounts of electronic waste (e-waste). In addition, economic, environmental, and social perspectives increased the need to develop an effective reverse supply chain (RSC). This study, therefore, formulates a stochastic model for a multi-objective, multi-product, multi-period RSC for electronic waste (e-waste) under uncertainty in returns’ quantity, quality, and availability to repair. Three objective functions are considered: maximizing profit, maximizing social impact, and minimizing CO2 emissions. The end-of-life (EOL) household appliance firm was considered for illustration. Results showed that selling products’ parts and generating 123.025 tons of raw materials are expected to generate profit and revenue averages of USD 547,750 and USD 220,207, respectively. The multiple-product RSC is expected to increase profit by 2.3 times that of a single-product RSC. Finally, the effects of uncertainty in model parameters on the objective functions are examined. In conclusion, the proposed RSC of e-waste can effectively enhance sustainability.