A multicriteria approach for assessing the maturity of supply chains regarding the implementation of circular economy practices in Brazil

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the extent to which circular economy (CE) practices are adopted within supply chains in the Brazilian context. An expert survey was conducted to assess eight critical factors for the integration of CE practices in supply chains. The collected data was analyzed using a modified version of the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), specifically the Fuzzy TOPSIS class. Sensitivity analyses were performed to validate the robustness of the results. The findings indicated that practices related to economic and risk management, cleaner production, top management support, and knowledge management were categorized as having medium maturity. Conversely, practices associated with governance, product development, infrastructure, and social and cultural changes are still in an early stage. This research provides insights for organizations by identifying areas of strength and areas requiring attention in the adoption of CE practices within Brazilian supply chains. Policymakers can use the findings to design targeted policies and incentives that encourage and facilitate the development of circularity in supply chains, thus promoting CE principles. This research highlights the importance of addressing specific factors related to CE practices within supply chains, providing a framework for further investigations and strategies to bridge the gap between CE and supply chain management. The findings suggest that there are social and cultural challenges associated with the adoption of CE practices, implying a need for awareness campaigns, education, and community involvement to drive positive social change and adoption of CE principles.

KEYWORDS:

• Circular economy
• sustainability
• sustainable development
• supply chain
• fuzzy TOPSIS

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data used to support the findings of this research article are available upon request from the corresponding author.

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico [304145/2021-1 and 303924/2021-7]; Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior [88887.807766/2023-00].