Operationalizing sustainability in pharmaceuticals: Green supply chain metrics for circular economy

• Rapid industrialization and population growth have led to material consumption exceeding the environment's ability to manage pollution. • The circular economy presents a business model alternative to the traditional take-make-waste approach. • The study identifies 24 barriers to circular economy transition in a pharmaceutical company, categorized at operational, strategic, and tactical levels. • Key barriers include technology, finances, policies, stakeholder management, and reverse logistics, particularly for toxic products. • The research aligns with the triple bottom line and Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 12 (responsible consumption) and SDG 9 (industry and innovation). The increasing population and rapid industrialization have driven material consumption to a level that surpasses the environment's capacity to cope with the resulting pollution. The circular economy offers a new business model, contrasting the traditional take-make-waste approach. In this context, the present study seeks to identify barriers at operational, strategic, and tactical levels in transition towards circular economy. The article focuses on recognizing barriers from an organizational viewpoint, using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to help decision-makers identify obstacles in implementing circularity principles. A total of 24 barriers, grouped into five categories, were identified for a pharmaceutical company. Findings reveal numerous barriers, including technology, finances, return on investment, policies and regulations, stakeholder management, and corporate strategy, all of which impact organizational sustainability efforts. Reverse logistics emerged as a critical concern due to the toxic nature of products, requiring stringent take-back mechanisms. This study is unique in assessing parameters within the framework of the triple bottom line and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production) and SDG 9 (industry, innovation, and infrastructure). The research evaluates GSM implementation challenges using circular and sustainable criteria to support achieving SDG 12.