Barriers to Implementing Green Purchasing Strategies Among SMEs in Sri Lanka: A Best-Worst Method Approach

Abstract

Green purchasing is increasingly recognized as a key approach to enhancing supply chain sustainability by incorporating environmental considerations into procurement decisions. However, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly in developing economies such as Sri Lanka, face multiple barriers to its adoption. This study identifies and prioritizes these barriers using a literature review and expert input, resulting in thirteen factors categorized into internal and external dimensions. The Best-Worst Method (BWM), a multicriteria decision-making technique, was applied to assess their relative importance based on expert judgments. The results show that internal barriers such as knowledge and awareness gaps, procedural complexity and time constraints, limited staff capability, and financial limitations are most significant. Among external barriers, limited supplier availability is the most critical, followed by market competitiveness and cultural resistance, higher upstream costs, and weak regulatory incentives. Sensitivity analysis confirms the robustness of the rankings. The findings offer practical guidance for policymakers and SME managers