Cleaner production in Iran: necessities and priorities

The purpose of this paper is to underscore the necessity for implementing a cleaner production strategy in order to achieve sustainable development for Iranʹs industries. While reviewing the reasons for the need to adopt the strategy of cleaner production for the industries of developing countries, the special features of Iranian society which makes the use of cleaner production necessary were also studied. It is important to develop a model or method for developing a priority for industrialists to work with in initiating cleaner production activities. This was done in Iran using the “multiple criteria decision making method” (MCDM). This included, among other things, interviewing the relevant experts and directors, for each industrial group. A relative ranking score was developed and based upon it, the priority of each group was determined. Within this process, the industrial groups of “textiles, apparel and leather industries” were given the highest priority and the industrial group of “manufacture of wood and wood products, including furniture” were given the lowest priority.