A Game-Based Approach to Building a Sustainable Supply Chain

While firms in different industries face increasing pressure from society and regulatory bodies to address sustainability challenges, critical questions remain unanswered regarding how supply chains should prioritise processes, allocate resources, and integrate with other supply chains to develop bio-packaging products. We explore those questions by testing a Serious Game (SG) with stakeholders of the bioplastics supply chain in the UK. We find that SG facilitates the configuration of the BSC bio-packaging supply chain (BSC) for compostable products by prioritising the implementation of downstream processes integrated with the biofuel and agriculture supply chain and closed-loop business models (i.e., integration of production, commercialisation, and end-of-life) supported by normative regulations, communication and education with the consumers and investments at the end-of-life. In addition, under crisis scenarios (i.e., extended pandemic, climate change, and economic crisis), attention must be given to solutions that address local needs, downstream processes, and cost-effective bio-packaging.