Identifying critical eco-innovation practices in circular supply chain management: evidence from the textile and clothing industry

Eco-innovation practices are critical to achieve the supply chain management of the textile and clothing industry. Prior research has not identified which eco-innovations are more important in circular supply chain management. To guide the effective implementation of eco-innovation practices in CSCM, this study initially established an eco-innovation framework for CSCM articulated along five main aspects. Then, fuzzy set theory was integrated with the decision-making trials and evaluation laboratory method to identify the critical eco-innovation practices in CSCM. Empirical results indicate that life-cycle assessment, the establishment of an eco-innovation strategy, knowledge sharing of eco-innovation information, environmental monitoring, and the control of capital efficiency are critical eco-innovation practices for the CSCM of the textile and clothing industry. More in detail, life-cycle assessment is the most important to improve CSCM performance, while the establishment of an eco-innovation strategy has a greater impact on other eco-innovation practices. This study proposed an eco-innovation decision-making framework that may help enhance the effectiveness of CSCM in the textile and clothing industry. The identification of important eco-innovation drivers may help organisations prioritise CSCM techniques when resources are limited.