From farm waste to industrial resource: sustainable composite materials for regional symbiosis

Objective This study examines the potential of agricultural waste from plantain, coconut, rice, and maragnon for composite material production in Córdoba and Sucre, Colombia. It addresses challenges in environmental sustainability and waste management by exploring eco-industrial development and regional industrial symbiosis, with explicit alignment to SDGs 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 13 (Climate Action), 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and 15 (Life on Land). Methodology/Technique The Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) was applied to evaluate and prioritize four agricultural waste types against seven main criteria: SDG alignment, economic feasibility, technological suitability, social equity, economic costs, economic benefits, and environmental impact. Expert judgments were collected from a panel of 12 specialists (circular economy, industrial engineering, agronomy, environmental science; ≥8 years’ experience). Consistency ratios (CR < 0.10) and sensitivity analyses (three weight scenarios) validated robustness. Centroid (center-of-area) defuzzification converted triangular fuzzy numbers into crisp weights. Findings Plantain waste shows the highest composite production potential (38.51%), followed by coconut (34.38%), rice (15.00%), and maragnon (12.11%). Plantain’s strong SDG alignment and economic and environmental advantages make it the most promising material. Novelty This study advances the field through a structured, multi-criteria FAHP framework for agricultural waste ranking in a Colombian regional context, integrating contextual, social, and policy dimensions into a replicable eco-industrial decision model.