ABSTRACT

Today, marketers must be concerned with reducing the pollution that accompanies high levels of product consumption. One potential solution to the post-consumer solid waste problem involves the collection, processing, and returning waste materials back to productive use. From a marketing perspective, recyclable materials extracted from the waste stream need to be efficiently matched with end-markets. This article reviews some important concepts and issues associated with the recycling of post-consumer solid waste and suggests a typology of reverse distribution channels to describe the process.