containers, such as return logistics, cleaning, control, maintenance and storage.
By using this system, the sender can decrease his fixed costs by renting varying
numbers of containers as required.
Summary
The different variants described in this section are summarized in Table I.
Which system a sender chooses depends on the type, the weight and the
structure of the goods, as well as on the quantities involved, and whether the
sender has or does not have a return logistics system. Other variables that may
influence the decision on which system, if any, to use are the scope of the system
(international, or only national or regional), the co-operation of recipients, the
willingness to invest (from both the standpoint of the sender and recipient), the
available storage space, the control possibilities, the size of the organization and
the acceptance in the market[11].
A case study
In this section we describe a case study carried out for a large logistics service
organization in The Netherlands. The case study is related to the design of a
return logistics system for returnable containers.
The return logistics operation took the form of a depot system with a deposit
structure, as described in the previous section. The returnable containers are
collapsible when they are empty. By collapsing the containers, a 75 per cent
reduction in their volume is obtained. The containers are available in six
different sizes, all based on the dimensions of the Euro-pallet.
Five parties are involved in the system, namely: the central agency; a logistics
service organization; the senders of the containers; the recipients; and the
carriers that actually transport the full containers from senders to recipients.