Mitigating the barriers of industrial symbiosis for waste management: An integrated decision-making framework for the textile and clothing industry

Waste management in the textile and clothing (TAC) industry is a challenging issue due to high resource consumption and pollution generation. Therefore, the adoption of industrial symbiosis (IS) is the need of the hour for the TAC industry. However, the adoption of IS in emerging economies like India, Brazil, Bangladesh, etc. is limited due to various impediments. The present work aims to identify and analyse these barriers and develop mitigation strategies in the context of Indian TAC industry. Eighteen IS barriers have been identified and validated; and the interrelationships among them are studied by applying the 'weighted influence non-linear gauge system (WINGS)' method, which not only estimates the intensity of influence but also takes the self-strength of barriers into account. The results show that lack of trust amongst supply chain partners, lack of financial incentives from the government, lack of guidance from regularity bodies and industry associations and lack of consumer awareness are the most significant barriers. Additionally, the strategies to mitigate these barriers are developed based on a quadruple helix framework considering academia--government-industry-society as the main actors. The findings of the study will be helpful for the TAC industry, policymakers and other concerned stakeholders in framing suitable strategies to improve the long-term waste management practices of the industry and to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs).