Fuzzy Decision-Making in Sustainable Composites Supply Chain Management: A Case Study

Abstract: In recent years, bio-based materials have attracted attention as a compelling choice for the development of environmentally friendly products. Natural fibres biomass, as one of the raw material sources, requires processing decisions that relate to collection and particle size reduction. These decisions play a vital role in the viability and profitability of pertinent Supply Chains (SC) for biomass conversion into a value-added product. Moreover, a holistic decision should include the environmental and social impacts of the SC. In this study, a multi-criteria decision-making model is developed to support the sustainable development of a hemp-based biocomposite SC by introducing a multi-criteria modelling framework integrating economic, environmental, and social practices. For economic and environmental impacts, outputs of the techno-economic and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) models are used to quantify the required decision factors. On the social dimension, a set of decision criteria, combining qualitative and quantitative data is required. This includes data on the number of job opportunities involved, along with opinions from group-based decision-makers for qualitative criteria such as employee productivity and safety. As experts assisted in acquiring qualitative data, a fuzzy decision process is employed to improve attribute values due to their subjectivity. The results identified the most appropriate biomass processing equipment set, which would assist the SC managers in utilizing the available natural resources in the most sustainable manner in this case study. Moreover, to investigate the robustness of the model, a sensitivity analysis of the decision-makers preferences over sustainable indicators is conducted.

 
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