Sustainability practices in manufacturing firms: Recycling and waste management

This study examines recycling and waste-management practices in manufacturing firms to investigate how companies adopt and implement sustainability principles. Through in-depth interviews with ten firms, the research analyzes firms' approaches and experiences regarding sustainability, recycling, and waste management. The qualitative data obtained from the interviews were thematically coded using MaxQDA. The resulting main themes were classified as follows: current state and recycled products; process management and technologies; strategy, policy, and motivation; cost components and economic impact; challenges encountered and solution methods; performance and impact assessment; and future plans. The findings indicate that recycling and waste management in the firms studied are shaped largely by regulatory compliance; processes are carried out predominantly along a source separation–temporary storage–transfer to licensed facilities chain; technological integration remains limited; and cost pressures stemming from geographic access and transportation persist. At the same time, while relative gains are observed in certification and corporate reputation, economic returns tend to vary depending on context and capacity differences.