Circular economy practices in the leather products industry toward waste valorization: an approach of sustainable environmental management

Abstract

PurposeThe global resolution of embracing dynamic and intertwined production systems has made it necessary to adopt viable systems like circular economy (CE) to ensure excellency in the business. However, in emerging countries, it is challenging to implement the CE practices due to the existing problems in the supply chain network, as well as due to the vulnerable financial condition of the business after the deadly hit of COVID-19. The main aim of this research is to determine the barriers to implementing CE considering the recent pandemic and suggest strategies to organizations to ensure CE for a cleaner environment and greener economy.Design/methodology/approachAfter an extensive literature review and validation from experts, 24 sub-barriers under the class of 6 main barriers are finalized by Pareto analysis, which is further analyzed via the best-worst method to determine the weight and rank of the barriers Further, fuzzy-Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method is used to rank the proposed startegies to overcome the analysed barriers.FindingsThe results identified “unavailability of initial funding capital”, “need long time investment”, “lack of integrating production system using advance technology” and “lack of strategic planning” as the most acute sub-barriers to CE implementation. Further, fuzzy TOPSIS method is used to suggest the best strategy to mitigate the ranked barriers. The results indicated “integrated design facility to CE”, “ensuring large scale funding for CE facility” as the best strategy.Practical implicationsThis study will motivate managers to implement CE practices to enjoy proper utilization of the resources, sustainable benefits in business, and gain competitive advantage.Originality/valuePeriodically, a lot of work is done on CE practices but none of them highlighted the issues in the domain of the leather products industry (LPI) and COVID-19 toward achieving sustainability in production and consumption. Thus, some significant barriers and strategies to implement CE for achieving sustainability in LPI are highlighted in this study, which is a unique contribution to the literature.

Sustainable recycling management: configuration of risk factors and resilience strategies

“…Such strategies may improve the readiness to overcome risk. Similarly, providing safety training to workers and maintaining safety standards (Dong et al, 2015;Maliha et al, 2023), creating awareness among management and employees (Rubel et al, 2021), preauditing and getting environmental clearance before starting a recycling operation (Chowdhury et al, 2013) and industry associations being proactive in improving social and environmental issues (Rovinaru et al, 2019) are effective in improving the readiness and capability to manage risk factors related to SRM.…”

“…gold, platinum and bronze; Grimm et al, 2014). Furthermore, mandatory sustainability reporting practices could mitigate the risks associated with SRM (Chowdhury et al, 2013;Maliha et al, 2023). SRM might also benefit from establishing integration among stakeholders (Pagoropoulos et al, 2017;Maliha et al, 2023).…”

“…Furthermore, mandatory sustainability reporting practices could mitigate the risks associated with SRM (Chowdhury et al, 2013;Maliha et al, 2023). SRM might also benefit from establishing integration among stakeholders (Pagoropoulos et al, 2017;Maliha et al, 2023). In the realm of B2B, extended producer responsibility has established reciprocal relationships with stakeholders (de Sousa Jabbour et al, 2017) while also supporting local welfare initiatives (Schøyen et al, 2017).…”

Assessing Circular Textile Industry Development

“…One particular study examined the circular economy using the TOPSIS method to assess waste and identified ten strategies to provide optimal solutions for organisations. Among these strategies, the integration of CE design tools was found to be the most influential (Maliha et al, 2023). Another study analysed the network of companies in the textile industry using the clustering method, focusing on the textile companies with the highest connections (Sheresheva et al, 2022).…”

Navigating circular economy: Unleashing the potential of political and supply chain analytics skills among top supply chain executives for environmental orientation, regenerative supply chain practices, and supply chain viability

“…In addition to these examples, numerous other businesses from a range of industries are making efforts to adopt regenerative SC (RSC) practices (Banerjee & Mukhopadhyay, 2013). 3 Regenerative practices, grounded in the circular economy (CE) in SCs, can lead to cost reductions and enhanced efficiency (Maliha et al, 2023). Additionally, such practices can help to mitigate the SC risks associated with environmental disruptions, social unrest, and regulatory changes.…”