Surplus product donation and sustainability strategy: Channels and challenges for corporate product donations

Abstract

Sustainability addresses three aspects of corporate responsibility: economic, environmental and social. Over the years, the operations and supply chain literature has focused on economic and environmental objectives limiting the social agenda to ethical sourcing practices. Yet the disposition of surplus inventories in particular and charitable giving in general are key components of corporate social responsibility. We discuss the channels and challenges for companies’ surplus inventory donations and describe why companies should integrate product donations within their overall corporate sustainability strategy.