Material Reuse Forum 7: Unpacking the Surplus Economy

December 5th, 2024 | 1:30 - 3:00 PM ET


These webinars are free and open to both NERC Members and Non-Members!

Ever wonder what happens to returned items? Reverse logistics is a vital part of the circular economy, focusing on moving goods from customers back to sellers or manufacturers. This process plays a key role in managing surplus and returns to enable large-scale reuse.


Join us for this webinar as experts discuss the economics, systems, challenges, and opportunities of reverse logistics. Gain insights into how surplus and returned goods are handled and their role in driving sustainability within retail operations.

Meet Our Speakers:

Necati Ertekin, Associate Professor in the Supply Chain and Operations Department at the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota

Necati Ertekin is an Associate Professor in the Supply Chain and Operations Department at the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota. Prior to pursuing a Ph.D., he served in the Navy as an officer for eight years and resigned as Lieutenant. Necati has developed a research stream that is grounded in practice with a strong managerial focus. His primary research interests center on retail operations and operations/marketing interface with an emphasis on omnichannel retailing, store labor, and the behavioral aspects of consumer returns. His research has been published in Management Science, Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, Marketing Science, and Production and Operations Management. He has been an active member of the Consortium for Operational Excellence in Retailing (COER, a Harvard Business School and The Wharton School initiation to facilitate partnership between academics and retail practitioners) since 2016 and has been invited to present his works at professional and practitioner conferences in North America. He has also consulted with several national retailers.

Zac Rogers, Assistant Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management, Colorado State University

Dr. Rogers is an Assistant Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management at Colorado State University.  His primary research interests include the financial impact of supply chain sustainability, emerging logistics technologies, supply chain cyber security and various other emerging purchasing and logistics issues.  Dr. Rogers’ work has appeared in multiple academic journals, corporate white papers, trade publications, and conference proceedings.  He is also a frequent speaker at both academic and practitioner-oriented conferences.  Dr. Rogers earned his B.S. and M.B.A. degrees at the University of Nevada, Reno and his PhD in supply chain management from Arizona State University. Prior to returning to academia Dr. Rogers worked as a purchasing agent for a large hotel-resort and as an operations manager for Quidsi, a subsidiary of Amazon.

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