In the quest for sustainable and circular practices within supply chains, both downstream and upstream strategies play pivotal roles. This structured literature review aims to compare the indicators of sustainability and circularity between downstream and upstream supply chain strategies, evaluating their impact through practical cases and empirical studies. The downstream strategies, which focus on waste management, customer engagement, and reverse network planning, are explored alongside upstream strategies such as sourcing environmentally friendly raw materials and integrating design for circularity principles. This paper assesses the efficacy of these strategies through a comprehensive review of scholarly articles, reports, and case studies in achieving sustainability and circularity goals. The literature review reveals that downstream strategies often face challenges related to felxibility and operational efficiency while crucial for managing end-of-life products and optimizing resource utilization. Conversely, upstream strategies, emphasizing eco-friendly sourcing and circular design principles which demonstrate significant potential for long term sustainability and circularity. Practical cases illustrate how upstream interventions can lead to reduced environmental impact, enhanced resource efficiency, and increased product longevity across various industries. Furthermore, the review highlights the interconnectedness of downstream and upstream strategies within the broader supply chain ecosystem. Synergistic approaches that integrate both strategies demonstrate the highest potential for driving transformative change towards sustainable and circular supply chains. Ultimately, this review underscores the importance of integrated approaches that leverage both downstream and upstream strategies to achieve lasting environmental and economic benefits to provides insights for policymakers and researchers seeking to prioritize interventions that maximize sustainability and circularity across the supply chain.

This study proposes a structured conceptual model for analyzing stakeholder complexity within Hungary's newly implemented Deposit Refund System (DRS), using the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) framework. A House of Quality (HoQ) matrix was developed to map the relationships between the functional features of the system and the specific requirements of key stakeholders, including government, system operators, manufacturers, retailers, and customers. A qualitative focus group method was applied to gather expert input and evaluate system features based on stakeholder experience and the evolving Hungarian context. Rather than aiming for statistical generalization, the study focuses on illustrating how structured modeling can reveal stakeholder trade-offs and support strategic alignment in complex waste collection systems. Findings highlight areas of convergence and divergence among stakeholders and demonstrate the utility of the QFD-based approach in designing adaptable, stakeholder-informed DRS models. The results are particularly relevant for countries in the early stages of DRS implementation or those seeking to redesign existing systems to better integrate technical feasibility and stakeholder priorities.

Through the application of a reverse logistics benchmark approach, this paper aims to investigate prevailing waste management practices in the European Union (EU) countries. In detail, it will analyze existing waste management practices, identify successful efforts, and identify areas for improvement within the EU region, in order to answer how can different collection waste management practices promote sustainability and integrate with reverse supply network? In this article, a structured literature review is carried out to examine the existing literature background, and public reports are collected and analyzed published by EU nations on waste management. The aim of the article is to understand their current state and evaluate the applicability of reverse logistics techniques in enhancing waste collection, recycling, and disposal. By answering the research question, the examination can provide valuable insights and recommendations for policymakers, as well as those involved in managing waste or stakeholders with an interest in enhancing the sustainability and efficiency of waste management practices in EU countries.

This paper aims to present the potential of the Internet of Things and Blockchain applications in enhancing the sustainability of reverse logistics processes. Logistics operations play a vital role in supply chain management and are often referred to as the "dynamo" of the process. Reverse logistics is imperative to bridge the gap between forward logistics (the initial movement of goods) and backward logistics (the movement of products in the opposite direction) to close the supply chain loop and achieve a more sustainable operation that is both environmentally and economically efficient. To achieve this objective, the paper undertook a structured literature review using three renowned databases, namely, Science Direct, Scopus, and Web of Science, via a mapping study. The investigation focused on exploring the sustainable aspects of reverse logistics, which can help organizations attain better environmental and economic returns. Additionally, the paper emphasizes how the Internet of Things and Blockchain applications can contribute to more economical and environmentally sustainable management of reverse logistics operations. The results highlight the key strategies, benefits, barriers, research gaps, and future research directions associated with the integration of these technologies in reverse logistics operations.