Sustainable circular supplier selection: A novel hybrid approach

Abstract

Circular supplier selection is the process of selecting suppliers in a closed-loop supply chain. Sustainable circular supplier selection addresses the social and environmental concerns in circular supplier selection problems. In this paper, for the first time, we combine the fuzzy best-worst method and the interval VIKOR technique to evaluate and prioritize sustainable suppliers in circular supply chains. The evaluation criteria are classified into three categories of economic, social, and circular factors extracted based on the domain expert's opinions. The fuzzy best-worst method is used to weigh the criteria, and the interval VIKOR technique is applied to evaluate the suppliers in the presence of uncertainty. This study contributes to the sustainable development goals (SDG's) of providing Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8) and Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12). The proposed method is then used to evaluate six suppliers in the wire-and-cable industry in Iran. The results obtained from the implementation of the proposed approach and its sensitivity analysis indicate the applicability and efficiency of the proposed approach.