Evaluating green supply chain sustainability using OPLO-POCOD method: Empirical evidence from Iran's tire manufacturing sector

Tire manufacturing is increasingly scrutinized for sustainability performance due to non-exhaust pollution risks (e.g., tire and road wear particles, TRWP) and end-of-life tire (ELT) burdens that propagate across air–soil–water pathways. However, these environmental concerns are often discussed descriptively and are not consistently translated into measurable supply-chain indicators for benchmarking and improvement. This study evaluates Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) sustainability in Iran’s tire manufacturing sector using a multi-criteria decision-making framework. Fifteen GSCM sub-criteria spanning green product, design, materials, production, management, and service were finalized through literature synthesis and expert input, and criterion weights were derived using the Base Criterion Method (BCM). Ten active Iranian tire manufacturers were assessed using the OPLO–POCOD method, an opportunity-loss-based polar coordinate distance approach that captures both the magnitude and structure of performance gaps relative to an ideal profile. Using cross-sectional data representing one operational year (ending March 2024), results reveal substantial heterogeneity among firms: Kavir Tire (A1) achieved the best overall sustainability alignment (Degree of Opportunity Losses, DOL = 0.0323), while Artavil Tire (A10) exhibited the largest deviation from the ideal (DOL = 0.1632). Overall, the findings demonstrate the practical value of OPLO–POCOD for sustainability benchmarking in manufacturing supply chains and provide actionable priorities for managers and policymakers to reduce sustainability gaps in the Iranian tire industry.