This study aims to identify the main barriers to fully implement the reverse logistics of e-waste in Brazil and prioritize them under a Multicriteria Decision Aid approach (MCDA) according to the perceptions of small and medium-sized companies, consumers, and the Brazilian government. Hence, the study was conducted in two steps: (i) Systematic literature review to identify the main barriers, with data collection carried out through a documental analysis, and (ii) MCDA application, through self-administered questionnaires. In order to deal with the uncertainty in subjective measures, the method of Composition of Probabilistic Preferences (CPP) was applied to analyze the results of each group of decision maker, opting for the progressive-pessimistic scenario to prioritize the barriers to be solved. As main results, a priority classification of the internal and external barriers considering each category of decision maker was obtained. Moreover, it was verified that the government and micro and small companies agreed that internal barriers with an organizational nature or related to infrastructure management are the main obstacles to the implementation of reverse logistics. On the other hand, consumers consider the managerial or organizational barriers as a priority.

Reverse logistics (RL) has emerged as a form of disposal and a conscious way to use products at the end of their use through the refurbishment, reuse, and recycling processes. Mainly in developing countries, there are still several barriers during the process of implementing reverse logistics, so decision-makers need to know what barriers to prioritize to propose a solution. This paper aims to investigate which multicriteria decision aid (MCDA) methods are most applied in the studies on barriers during the implementation of reverse logistics. For this purpose, we conducted a systematic literature review using a well-known and detailed protocol, considering various papers published in journals from the databases Science Direct, Emerald, Web of Science, and Google Scholar in the period from 2008 to 2019. As a result, a few studies discussing multicriteria methods were identified, analyzing the existing barriers to the implementation of reverse logistics. The main methods and criteria were gathered from the literature and were systematized and discussed to identify a research agenda. This paper contributes to the work carried out by researchers and practitioners in this field and can guide them in their choice of methods to approach decision-making related to reverse logistics.

This paper aims to develop and validate a questionnaire to measure the prioritization of strategies to transitioning towards a circular economy and to compare different countries. We proposed a questionnaire based on a five-level ordinal scale to evaluate the 24 strategies of the circular economy under a set of ten criteria given technical issues, as well as social, environmental and economic dimensions of sustainability. Each strategy was defined and evaluated by the participants on the same scale, who are stakeholders involved in the transition towards a circular economy. The validation was conducted by two main procedures, including semantic validation through 17 experts from five countries and statistical validation by 347 survey respondents from 25 countries. The results show that the questionnaire seems a reliable and valid tool to analyze which circular economy strategies countries, regions and cities prioritize. Few studies have been conducted to validate instruments about the circular economy; they are focused at the micro level, (industry). Studies that validate measurement instruments regarding the circular economy at the macro level are lacking. This study is the first one to validate the circular economy instrument at the macro level. It can help researchers and practitioners from public and private sectors from a variety of organizations in proposing actions to enable the transition and create performance indicators.

Background: Considering the global concern in balancing economic growth with environmental sustainability, the study proposes a model to support multicriteria decision-making. From the systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis, there was an increasing trend in studies on electronic waste due to governments, stakeholders, and the population to better address the management of this waste; Methods: We propose a decision model considering some aspects and phases that help from collecting information to support decision making, based on the FITradeoff ordering method, to support policy decisions for managing Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) collection systems.; Results: After applying the proposed model, validated based on the perception of a decision-maker working in a federal public agency, we obtained the final classification with ten positions of alternatives; Conclusions: This outcome can assist in decision making and management of the collection of WEEE. In addition, we made recommendations to manufacturers have more responsibility in the design and traceability of the product to guarantee its recovery after disposal effectively.

As e-waste exponentially increases on a global scale, some legislation and plans to implement reverse logistics have arisen in some countries. While reverse logistics is already well consolidated in developed countries, it is still in a state of infancy in developing countries. In this article, we propose a theoretical model to assess reverse logistics, based on a multicriteria decision aid perspective. This was done while considering a context in which the implementation of the reverse logistics of e-waste is at the beginning. To show the main characteristics of the literature and obtain the model’s inputs, we conducted a systematic literature review to help us understand the main criteria and methods used for this purpose. Then, we illustrated the use of the proposed model with a numerical example. This paper contributes to the current body of research, and aims to assist practitioners within the field of reverse logistics by systematizing the knowledge related to this issue, and offering a model that can guide the decision-making. This model differentiates from others already published because it uses the probabilistic composition of preferences (PCP) method, which does not require the assignment of weights. The model can also be used while considering the preferences of several decision-makers, therefore covering several points of view and providing a more holistic view of the decision problem.