Analysis of enablers within environmental policy frameworks for facilitating circular economy practices in the sports products industry

The sports products industry has been associated with significant environmental challenges, including high levels of waste, resource depletion, and carbon emissions throughout the product lifecycle. These challenges necessitate a transformative approach, particularly the adoption of circular economy (CE) practices, to mitigate adverse impacts and promote sustainability in the sector. This research aims to identify and evaluate the important enablers, sub-enablers, and scenarios for the adoption of CE practices to enhance environmental sustainability in sports industry. This study used the Delphi method to identify the key enablers, sub-enablers, and scenarios. Later, the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method is used to evaluate and prioritize these pertinent enablers and sub-enablers to the sports sector. Finally, the fuzzy Weighted Aggregated Sum Product Assessment (WASPAS) method is used to rank the six important scenarios for the adoption of CE practices in the sports industry. The results of AHP shows that regulatory pressures, consumer demand, and corporate social responsibility are the most dominant enablers that affects the adoption of CE practices. The fuzzy WASPAS findings showed that standardization and certification schemes, CE roadmaps and action plans, and extended producer responsibility are the key scenarios in adopting CE practices and environmental policy frameworks in sports products industry. This research provides actionable insights for policymakers and industry leaders to encourage the adoption of the CE implementation and environmental sustainability within sports sector. •Adopting circular economy practices boosts sustainability in sports industry.•The Delphi method identified enablers, sub-enablers, and scenarios for CE adoption.•AHP and fuzzy WASPAS assessed and prioritized the enablers and scenarios.•AHP revealed regulatory pressures and consumer demand as leading enablers.•Fuzzy WASPAS shows standardization and certification schemes are key scenario.