A Two-Stage Multi-Criteria Decision Making Approach for Green Supplier Selection

Awareness of environmental protection and sustainability in the manufacturing industry has grown making the green image a more critical factor in the supplier selection process. Supplier evaluation and selection are well studied in the literature. However, studies with a green focus are relatively limited. In order to fill this gap, this paper proposes a green supplier evaluation and selection (GSES) method that evaluates suppliers according to their green competencies and environmental performances. In this regard, a combined multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) approach capable of handling imprecise quantitative and qualitative data is proposed. To demonstrate the functionality of the approach, a case study is conducted on a U.S. based company that manufactures and distributes plastic closures and dispensing systems, internationally. The results of the approach along with the discussion for future research are also provided