Environmental Aspects of Product Life Cycle Management and Purchasing Logistics: Current Situation in Large and Medium-Sized Czech Manufacturing Companies

Abstract

This paper is focused on current approaches to the environmental behavior of large and medium-sized Czech manufacturing Companies, in relation to the control of environmental aspects through the whole product life cycle and the management of environmental risks in individual phases of product life cycle. This work addresses environmental aspects of product life cycle including design, manufacturing and selected logistics activities, specifically solution for environmental risk management and levels of environmental system considering environmental activities in manufacturing companies. Based on the qualitative and quantitative research performed through the structured interviews combined with questionnaire survey, authors provide an analysis of the actual insight into managing environmental risks and aspects through the whole product life cycle in Czech manufacturing companies. Results are considered also from the viewpoint of individual elements of environmental system and relation of environmental activities to the country's legislative requirements and other system standards across the business environment. Based on the research activities, the authors found out that the final customer is the most important stakeholder influencing risk management in the individual phases of the product life cycle. Further research steps will be directed towards the comparative study of the environmental performance of medium and large manufacturing companies in other countries. Practical use of research results is focused especially on the new agreement of the environmental requirements with customers throughout the whole logistics chain.