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How social ties influence metal resource flows in the Bangladesh ship recycling industry

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  • Mizanur Rahman, S.M.
  • Mayer, Audrey L.

Abstract

The ship recycling industry in Bangladesh provides critical metal resources for construction and consumer products in the country, which has no native metal sources. This industry illustrates how industrial recycling can arise in a self-organized manner and be maintained through social embeddedness. Information provided through interviews with shipyard owners, traders, and blacksmiths illustrate the importance of historical, cognitive, structural, and cultural embeddedness to maintaining the flow of metals from the ships beached in the coastal city of Chittagong to the capitol city of Dhaka, more than 300km away. The industry began through small scale metal scavenging; the early scavengers developed the major metal trading businesses operating today, maintained by family relationships. The metalworking community maintains a balance between the strong family ties and weak social ties, ensuring an optimum flow of information among the businessmen in the community. The engagement with scrap handling produces a sense of pride and a pleasure of innovation that binds this community with waste recycling. Thus, the embeddedness of this community through self-recruitment and trade information via social ties directs the resource flows in the community.

Suggested Citation

  • Mizanur Rahman, S.M. & Mayer, Audrey L., 2015. "How social ties influence metal resource flows in the Bangladesh ship recycling industry," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 104(PA), pages 254-264.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:recore:v:104:y:2015:i:pa:p:254-264
    DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2015.07.022
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    1. Francesco Tola & Enrico Maria Mosconi & Marco Marconi & Mattia Gianvincenzi, 2023. "Perspectives for the Development of a Circular Economy Model to Promote Ship Recycling Practices in the European Context: A Systemic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-28, March.
    2. Pengfei Li & Yutao Ru & Jianhong Wu, 2023. "Influential Factors Affecting Recycling Behavior toward Cardboard Boxes in the Logistics Sector: An Empirical Analysis from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-20, September.
    3. Jain, K.P. & Pruyn, J.F.J. & Hopman, J.J., 2016. "Quantitative assessment of material composition of end-of-life ships using onboard documentation," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 1-9.

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