Analyzing the Enablers of Circular Economy: A Sustainable Manufacturing Perspective

In light of the growing usage of scarce resources, heightened consumerism, and ballooning emissions, the spike in consumer demand for products precipitates an upswing in production. This, thus, encourages the deterioration of the ecosystem. The obligatory adoption of sustainable development becomes important for maintaining ecosystems and preserving natural resources. Attaining the goals of sustainable development compels firms to adopt a circular economy (CE) strategy, focusing emphasis on sustainable manufacturing processes. Nevertheless, the adoption and expansion of CE are impeded by several obstacles, including the considerable upfront expenses, the intricate nature of the supply chain, the lack of collaboration between businesses, insufficient information, shortages in skills, the need to compromise on quality, and the extended time required for disassembly. The study identifies 15 enablers of the adoption of circular economy (CE) in a developing economy. The fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation (Fuzzy-DEMATEL) method was used to prioritize and categorize these enablers. The findings reveal that "Top Management Commitment" is the most significant enabler of circular economy (CE). Other CE enablers include an increase of profit, infrastructure and technology, environmental laws and regulations, economic benefits, strategic planning, training and education for employee and, reduction of cost. Understanding these enablers' underlying causes is just as important as identifying them as it will inform the development of strategic imperatives that may help these enablers and promote the expansion of circular economy (CE).