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Analysing the Barriers Involved in Recycling the Textile Waste in India Using Fuzzy DEMATEL

Author

Listed:
  • S. G. Ponnambalam

    (School of Mechanical Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore 632014, India)

  • Bathrinath Sankaranarayanan

    (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education, Krishnankoil 626126, India)

  • Koppiahraj Karuppiah

    (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Saveetha School of Engineering, SIMATS, Chennai 602104, India)

  • Shakthi Thinakaran

    (School of Mechanical Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore 632014, India)

  • Pranesh Chandravelu

    (School of Mechanical Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore 632014, India)

  • Hon Loong Lam

    (Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham, Broga Road, Selangor 43500, Malaysia)

Abstract

Post-consumer wastes from the textile industry are generally landfilled or incinerated. The dumping of large amounts of textile waste has resulted in severe environmental problems. Advancements in technologies have called for textile recycling; however, the level of embracement made by the textile industry towards textile recycling is hampered by myriad factors. The scope of this study lies in identifying and analyzing multiple barriers to implementing textile recycling in India, encompassing all subsets of sustainability, i.e., social, economic, and environmental. The barriers are then evaluated using a Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approach to identify the significant barriers. A trapezoidal fuzzy-DEMATEL methodology was executed to not only find the most influential barriers but also to find the cause-effect nature between every barrier. The outcome of the study indicates a lack of successful recycling business models, poor demand for recycled textiles goods, recycled products may not replace new products, lack of support for waste management in the industry, and absence of tax relief and rewarding policies as the top five barriers to textile waste recycling. This insight could help influence the decision of future policymakers in the field. Another aspect of the issue of pollution in the textile industry is the recent trend of fast fashion and the enormous amount of waste produced by overconsumption. The Sustainability Development Goal (SDG) 12 which is to ensure responsible production and consumption plays a key role in this sector.

Suggested Citation

  • S. G. Ponnambalam & Bathrinath Sankaranarayanan & Koppiahraj Karuppiah & Shakthi Thinakaran & Pranesh Chandravelu & Hon Loong Lam, 2023. "Analysing the Barriers Involved in Recycling the Textile Waste in India Using Fuzzy DEMATEL," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-19, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:11:p:8864-:d:1160526
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Davood Andalib Ardakani & Mehrdad Kiani & Mohammad Sadegh Babakhanifard, 2024. "A Fuzzy DEMATEL‐FCM approach for analyzing the enablers of the circular economy and Industry 4.0 in the supply chain," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(6), pages 5574-5589, November.
    2. Rupesh Chourasiya & Rakesh Kumar Malviya, 2025. "Unlocking Circular Potential and Empowering Circularity: Paving the Path for Circular Supply Chain Enablement in Indian Textile Industries," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(7), pages 9441-9462, November.
    3. Amna Farrukh & Aymen Sajjad, 2024. "Drivers for and barriers to circular economy transition in the textile industry: A developing economy perspective," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(6), pages 7309-7329, December.
    4. Yaru Wei & Yumin Liu & Ahsan Siraj & Jichao Xu & Shilpa Taneja & Ning Wang, 2024. "A strategic framework for sustainable quality management in the waste textile recycling industry within the context of the circular economy," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(8), pages 9214-9232, December.
    5. Kasia Jaczynska & Sunidhi Mehta, 2025. "Industrialization of Post-Consumer Textile Waste Recycling (PCTW)- Hope vs Hype," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 5(6), pages 5399-5428, November.
    6. Jose Aparecido Favilla & Sergio Almeida Pacca, 2025. "Requirements to Promote Apparel’s Circularity: A Review for Labeling Purposes," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 5(7), pages 5773-5793, December.
    7. Md. Golam Sarower Rayhan & Md. Masum & Koppiahraj Karuppiah, 2025. "A Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach to Evaluate Circular Economy Barriers in the Textile and Apparel Industry," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 5(7), pages 6741-6772, December.

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