In this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott Luton sits down with two leaders shaping the future of reverse logistics from the floor to the classroom: Troy Campbell, Director of Reverse Logistics Centers at The Home Depot, and Dr. Glenn Richey, Jr., Harbert Eminent Scholar in Supply Chain Management at Auburn University. Troy opens the doors to Home Depot’s four Reverse Logistics Centers: Phoenix, Pittston (PA), McDonough (GA), and Indianapolis, showing why a people-first culture remains the operating system for returns at scale. He gets real about “automation when the box isn’t a box,” how rethinking inbound flows through 3PLs reduces touches and transportation cost, and why simple vendor conversations (like consolidating daily pallets into a single weekly load) can unlock outsized impact. His north star: make associates’ days easier, and the entire reverse network improves. Glenn zooms out to the macro shifts: the move from minimizing returns to maximizing returns within a circular economy, generative AI for scenario planning and real-time decision support, and reverse logistics as the operational backbone of sustainability. He maps the skills the next workforce will need, calls for clearer industry coding to separate reverse data from forward logistics, and outlines how universities can build…

Join us as we celebrate the 100th episode of the Logistics with Purpose podcast! This special episode, hosted by Enrique Alvarez and Kristi Porter of Vector Global Logistics, features many special guests, including Scott Luton of Supply Chain Now, Kelly Cobb with Bombas, Julie Forsyth with Partners for World Health, and so many more. Listen in as Enrique and Kristi reflect on the evolution of the podcast over the past four years, highlighting the diverse range of guests and topics covered. They discuss the significant changes in the logistics and supply chain industry, including a greater focus on sustainability and purpose-driven business models, and so much more. Tune in and celebrate this important milestone for the Logistics with Purpose team, and here’s to at least 100 more!! Featuring Special Guests: Scott Luton- Founder and CEO, Supply Chain Now Julie Forsyth- COO, Partners for World Health Sam Berman- CEO and Co-Founder, Logistics Advanced Research Center Cristina Aleixendri- COO and Co-founder, bound4blue Kelly Cobb- VP of Giving, Bombas Christopher Hussaini- Senior Sales Manager, Hapag-Lloyd Jenise Steverding- Chief Impact Officer, Gifts for Good Christelle Delenclos- Senior Director Growth Enablement Aid and Relief (Maersk Project Logistics, A.P. Moller-Maersk