as it carries high potential for a sustainable distribution process that fulfills both environmental and social needs. It deals with reclaiming used packaging, as well as unsold and end-of-life products that must be available for recycling or reuse. By taking back waste and packaging, appropriate and environmental-friendly recycling of the product’s components and materials can be ensured while at the same time reducing the amount of waste brought to landfills. Additionally, vehicle loadings can be optimized as empty return trips of trucks employed for distribution processes are avoided in case they take back materials. By combining and implementing these measures, producers can substantially improve their environmental performance and comply with the requirements given by the so-called life-cycle approach. As a higher goal, reverse logistics may also contribute to lower producers’ dependency on scarce or non-renewable resources by remanufacturing and reusing recycled materials for the production of new goods. The inherent perspective of replacing pollutive and energy-intensive processes of exploitation and manufacturing by remanufacturing complies with a cradle-to-cradle approach. However, for this to be worth the effort, new products must be designed and developed to have easy and inexpensive disassembling steps. The implementation of reverse logistics faces a number of challenges with respect to sustaining competitiveness of products and to conform to convenience expectations of customers. As end-of-life products are usually returned in varying conditions and must be picked up in private households, the dimension of take-back systems must be determined—particularly per product and with respect to value, disassembling costs, and potential inconveniences to customers. Therefore, a critical success factor is the easiness and accessibility of take-back options to promote a post-use phase that is highly convenient for the customer. Additionally companies have to continuously reduce costs of refurbishment and recycling. By applying political regulations and obligations banning highly toxic products from being disposed on landfills, by increasing disposal costs, and by promoting incentives for companies or customers who return their products, the return rate and therefore the environmental impact of end-of-use products can be improved. As example, the European Union implemented directions to particularly regulate extended producer responsibilities for end-of-life cars and electrical devices. Distribution and social sustainability Sustainable distribution is not only concerned with environmental issues but also with the social impact due to distribution. In the following, direct (working conditions of staff, noise, high levels of traffic, pollution) and indirect (changing landscapes) social impact can be distinguished. SA8000