Presenting a Circular Economy Model for Tabriz Petrochemical Complex with an Emphasis on Sustainability

Farhad Teimouri; Mir Hossein Seyyedi; Morteza Mahmoudzadeh

Authors

Farhad Teimouri Department of Management, Ta.C., Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0006-9987-1413
Mir Hossein Seyyedi Department of Management, Ta.C., Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9826-4682
Morteza Mahmoudzadeh Department of Management, Ta.C., Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2811-0060

Keywords:

circular economy, resource optimization, environmental sustainability, Tabriz Petrochemical Complex

Abstract

High energy consumption, the generation of substantial volumes of industrial waste, and increasing environmental pressures have compelled process industries, such as the petrochemical industry, to reconsider traditional production and consumption patterns. As an alternative to the linear production-and-disposal model, the circular economy represents an effective approach to addressing these challenges at the Tabriz Petrochemical Complex. The present study aimed to develop a sustainable circular economy model for the Tabriz Petrochemical Complex. The study employed a mixed-methods qualitative–quantitative approach. In the qualitative phase, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 22 experts and analyzed using three-stage coding. The structural relationships among the factors were subsequently determined through interpretive structural modeling and MICMAC analysis. In the quantitative phase, a 20-item questionnaire was administered to a sample of 350 participants, and the proposed model was validated through confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling using LISREL. The findings indicated that the components and dimensions of the circular economy were extracted in four economic, environmental, social, and technological–operational dimensions based on 220 open codes and 30 axial codes. The analysis of relationships among the factors showed that technological–operational factors functioned as fundamental driving forces, whereas economic and social factors represented the ultimate outcomes of the model. Regarding validity and applicability, the developed model confirmed that all four dimensions had positive and significant effects on the sustainable circular economy. The technological–operational dimension had the strongest effect, with a coefficient of 0.35, while the coefficient of determination of 0.72 indicated that the model adequately explained the variance in the dependent variable. The proposed model can provide a practical framework for promoting sustainability in the Tabriz petrochemical industry and other comparable industries.

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