Supplier allocation model for textile recycling operations

This paper presents a model that captures the problem of supplier selection for textile recycling operations. Suppliers in this case are the agencies and organisations that collect used clothing through the year and sell the mostly unsorted garments to the recycler. The recycling organisation sorts the materials and sells the sorted and classified clothing in diverse markets using seasonal knowledge about demand and prices. The model considers information related to the typical type of items that are in a shipment from a supplier at different times of the year to determine the optimal purchasing and processing plan. The model considers other constraints and variables, for example processing capacity, demand, inventory, and purchasing budget. The model is presented and then an implementation case is described, followed by a brief sensitivity analysis. The results demonstrate the capabilities of the model to support decision‐making for textile recycling operations.