ABSTRACT
This chapter explains the role of sustainability in supply chains and shows the benefits that companies can achieve through sustainable practices. It presents real-life examples showing how some companies approach sustainability effectively to achieve advantage in their industry, while others fail to see the advantage in good practice and suffer the consequences. The chapter explores three parameters of sustainability: labour, resources, and waste management. It considers case studies, best practices, and market knowledge to develop an understanding of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) in action and illustrates the related definitions under the categories of good, bad, and ugly. The chapter argues that many companies can have truly sustainable supply chains only through collaboration with suppliers. The overriding conclusion is that companies' supply chains must take care not to exploit resources and human capital; must be conscious of waste management in the present and preserve the environment for the future of all.
