The growing importance of the circular economy has emphasised optimal utilisation of resources within the constraints of economic development and protection of the environment. Digital technologies associated with Industry 4.0, such as blockchain, facilitate the implementation of circular economy principles throughout the supply chain. However, because blockchain implementation in the supply chain is still in the early stages, real-world examples of the blockchain-based circular supply chains (CSCs) are limited. The principal purpose of the paper is to examine the critical success factors (CSFs) for implementing blockchain-based CSCs. Following that, 10 CSFs are identified through a short systematic literature review, and then, the integrated fuzzy cognitive mapping and fuzzy best-worst method (FCM-FBWM) is implemented to examine CSFs for the blockchain-based CSC. The study's main findings demonstrate that network collaboration is the best CSF, while the shared circular economy toolbox is counted worst of all. This research enriches the literature by identifying the CSFs for implementing blockchain-enabled CSCs to address the lack of a suitable decision-making framework that assists managers in comprehending how blockchain technology can be adopted in the circular economy context. Implications for theory and practice are also discussed, offering new insights into the measures necessary to ensure successful blockchain implementations in CSCs.

The concept of sustainable development is becoming incomprehensible and complex in global supply networks, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) that are most affected by ever-changing industry challenges and standards. Smart technologies emerged by Industry 4.0, sustainability, and circular economy (CE) connection, which remain unexplored, can be integrated into the supply chain as a business strategy to increase collaboration and cooperation between different tiers of the supply chain to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) according to LMIC. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to discover the drivers of a smart sustainable circular supply chain (SSCSC) in achieving the SDGs in LMIC through stakeholder theory. First, a systematic review is employed to identify the drivers of the SSCSC to achieve the SDGs in the LMIC incorporating existing literature on the subject. Second, the Best-Worst Method (BWM) is applied to analyze the identified drivers, and then the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) is used to analyze the SDGs. The applicability of the solution methodology was illustrated by providing a numerical example. The results of the study are twofold: firstly, drivers are analyzed by implementation of BWM. The results of the BWM reveal that economic sustainability is the best key driver among the eight drivers in achieving the SDGs, meaning that without financial assistance and support achieving the SDGs becomes ineffective. Secondly, the TOPSIS analysis reveals that SDG 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions) is the SDG most supported by drivers.

A Smart Circular Supply Chain (SCSC) integrates both Industry 4.0 (I4.0) and Circular Economy (CE) concepts into supply chain in response to achieving sustainable goals/agenda. The purpose of this paper is to assess SCSC readiness and maturity level of SMEs considering different stakeholders from a multi-layered perspective. For this aim, a conceptual framework was proposed and accomplished through a case study of SMEs in Turkey’s textile industry. Such integrated approach to holistically assessing SCSC readiness and maturity makes a unique contribution to the field. The highlights of this study are summarized as follows: (1) approaching readiness and maturity in transitions by focusing on systems theory; (2) identifying the dimensions of readiness and maturity in transitions to I4.0 and CE; (3) assessment of readiness and maturity level of SMEs in transition to CE and (4) assessment of readiness and maturity level of SMEs in transition to I4.0 within the supply chain.

Purpose Halal food (HF) has received significant attention from scholars and practitioners. However, no studies have explored the distinct role played by HF literature as part of knowledge diffusion. Given the increasing number of scholarly outputs, this study aims to examine the HF development over the past decades comprehensively, including emerging topics and knowledge transmission paths and structure. Design/methodology/approach This study conducted a keyword co-occurrence network analysis and main path analysis (MPA). The MPA included four types of main paths to trace the historical formation of HF based on 253 articles extracted from the Web of Science database. Findings The findings show that: HF research revolves around several dimensions, including HF safety and trust, halal certification, HF supply chain management and attitudes towards HF purchasing, and the focus of HF research has shifted from the business perspective to the consumer perspective. In recent years, there has been a trend to explore how blockchains can benefit HF supply chains by improving traceability, transparency and consumer trust in HF. Originality/value This study addresses the need to examine the knowledge diffusion paths in the HF domain. This study offers a framework to investigate the knowledge dissemination and structure, helping researchers deal with hundreds of articles effectively and increasing their understanding of the past, present and future research trends in the HF domain.

The circular economy (CE) field has recently attracted significant interest from academics and practitioners. CE represents a departure from the linear economy, which is characterised by unsustainable resource production and consumption. The growing number of publications necessitates a comprehensive analysis of this field. This is the first systematic examination of the knowledge base and knowledge diffusion pathways in the CE domain. We analyse a Web of Science dataset containing 5431 articles published between 1970 and 2020. To create a comprehensive review of the CE domain, we conducted a keyword co-occurrence network analysis. We examined four distinct types of main paths using the main path analysis (MPA) technique: forward, backward, global, and key-route. According to the analyses, CE research focuses on six primary research themes: CE and sustainability, bioeconomy, CE practices, lifecycle assessment and industrial symbiosis, construction activities, and waste management. In addition, the MPA demonstrates that the CE literature has recently focused on Industry 4.0 technologies and their contribution to CE. This is the first attempt to depict the genealogy of CE research so that scholars can comprehend the domain's evolutionary structure, identify hot topics, and capture the history, development status, and potential future directions of CE research.

The unexpected emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has changed how grocery shopping is done. The grocery retail stores need to ensure hygiene, quality, and safety concerns in-store shopping by providing “no-touch” smart packaging solutions for agri-food products. The benefit of smart packaging is to inform consumers about the freshness level of a packaged product without having direct contact. This paper proposes a data-driven decision support system that uses smart packaging as a smart product-service system to manage the sustainable grocery store supply chain during outbreaks to prevent food waste. The proposed model dynamically updates the price of a packaged perishable product depending on freshness level while reducing food waste and the number of rejected customers and maximising profit by increasing the inventory turnover rate of grocery stores. The model was tested on a hypothetical but realistic case study of a single product. The results of this study showed that stock capacities, freshness discount rate, freshness period, and quantity discounts significantly affect the performance of a grocery store supply chain during outbreaks.

The growing importance of the circular economy has emphasised optimal utilisation of resources within the constraints of economic development and protection of the environment. Digital technologies associated with Industry 4.0, such as blockchain, facilitate the implementation of circular economy principles throughout the supply chain. However, because blockchain implementation in the supply chain is still in the early stages, real-world examples of the blockchain-based circular supply chains (CSCs) are limited. The principal purpose of the paper is to examine the critical success factors (CSFs) for implementing blockchain-based CSCs. Following that, 10 CSFs are identified through a short systematic literature review, and then, the integrated fuzzy cognitive mapping and fuzzy best-worst method (FCM-FBWM) is implemented to examine CSFs for the blockchain-based CSC. The study's main findings demonstrate that network collaboration is the best CSF, while the shared circular economy toolbox is counted worst of all. This research enriches the literature by identifying the CSFs for implementing blockchain-enabled CSCs to address the lack of a suitable decision-making framework that assists managers in comprehending how blockchain technology can be adopted in the circular economy context. Implications for theory and practice are also discussed, offering new insights into the measures necessary to ensure successful blockchain implementations in CSCs.

The concept of sustainable development is becoming incomprehensible and complex in global supply networks, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) that are most affected by ever-changing industry challenges and standards. Smart technologies emerged by Industry 4.0, sustainability, and circular economy (CE) connection, which remain unexplored, can be integrated into the supply chain as a business strategy to increase collaboration and cooperation between different tiers of the supply chain to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) according to LMIC. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to discover the drivers of a smart sustainable circular supply chain (SSCSC) in achieving the SDGs in LMIC through stakeholder theory. First, a systematic review is employed to identify the drivers of the SSCSC to achieve the SDGs in the LMIC incorporating existing literature on the subject. Second, the Best-Worst Method (BWM) is applied to analyze the identified drivers, and then the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) is used to analyze the SDGs. The applicability of the solution methodology was illustrated by providing a numerical example. The results of the study are twofold: firstly, drivers are analyzed by implementation of BWM. The results of the BWM reveal that economic sustainability is the best key driver among the eight drivers in achieving the SDGs, meaning that without financial assistance and support achieving the SDGs becomes ineffective. Secondly, the TOPSIS analysis reveals that SDG 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions) is the SDG most supported by drivers.

A Smart Circular Supply Chain (SCSC) integrates both Industry 4.0 (I4.0) and Circular Economy (CE) concepts into supply chain in response to achieving sustainable goals/agenda. The purpose of this paper is to assess SCSC readiness and maturity level of SMEs considering different stakeholders from a multi-layered perspective. For this aim, a conceptual framework was proposed and accomplished through a case study of SMEs in Turkey’s textile industry. Such integrated approach to holistically assessing SCSC readiness and maturity makes a unique contribution to the field. The highlights of this study are summarized as follows: (1) approaching readiness and maturity in transitions by focusing on systems theory; (2) identifying the dimensions of readiness and maturity in transitions to I4.0 and CE; (3) assessment of readiness and maturity level of SMEs in transition to CE and (4) assessment of readiness and maturity level of SMEs in transition to I4.0 within the supply chain.

The objectives of this paper are to analyse how blockchain can help in transaction time reduction and quality improvement in supply chains. It also aims to identify the social and technical capabilities needed by the service providers for blockchain implementation and how those capabilities vary between the projects. To achieve the above mentioned objectives, a multiple case study approach is followed, and data are collected from the service providers that have implemented blockchain technology with their customers. We conduct task-technology fit (TTF) analysis to assess the suitability of blockchain to address the tasks to be completed, considering customer needs. The TTF analysis shows that some additional technological solutions related to communication support and user experience design need to be implemented together with the blockchain platform. We then identify common social and technical capabilities, such as empathising with customers and system design, to facilitate implementation and contingent capabilities that vary across different types of blockchain implementation projects. We also develop a process model, a generalisable framework for blockchain implementation and related propositions. The findings from this study will provide guidance to the blockchain service 2 providers to emphasise social and technical capabilities for quality improvement and transaction time reduction from blockchain implementation.