Sustainability and Optimization of Supply Chains: a Literature Review

Sustainability of supply chains (SCs) and supply chain optimization is a topic of increasing interest in academia and industry. Although several authors have studied various aspects optimization and sustainability of SC, there is still a gap in understanding sustainable development of SCs. The aim of this study is to bridge this gap and to better understand interdependencies between economic, environmental and social dimensions of sustainability. To fulfill the research objective, this study examines 50 peer-reviewed articles published literature in the field of sustainable SCs and SC optimization. Selected papers used mathematical modeling techniques (optimization) as research methodology combined with one or more dimensions of sustainability. Findings of this work indicate that there are several SC optimization models addressing all three dimensions of sustainability simultaneously, and social dimension of sustainability is the least studied aspect. Furthermore, an application taxonomy of mathematical modeling approaches used in sustainable SCs is provided. Future research should shift the focus from models dealing primarily with economic and environmental dimensions towards more balanced models that include all three sustainability aspects. This paper enhances understanding how was sustainability principles are incorporated into mathematical models for SC optimization, and provides SC optimization models with pertinent sustainability indicators.