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The routing problem is a critical issue in closed-loop supply chain neatwork design, but it is typically simplified in the literature. In contrast to the traditional approach of a point-to-point delivery between two logistics nodes or a routing problem at the terminal distribution stage in a closed-loop supply chain (CLSC), we propose a multi-period CLSC network that considers circular routing in the network’s echelons to reduce empty running. First, we formulate reversible transportation mechanism (RTM) and circular transportation mechanism (CTM), and construct two CLSC network models for a three-echelon supply chain network respectively. The models fully consider backorders, delayed returns, delivery lead time, and carbon emissions cost into the model. Second, a heuristic method with initialization and improvement stages is proposed to tackle the large-scale NP-hard problems, and the local search process is …