Barriers of eco-friendly packaging (EFP) adoption: a multi-stakeholder perspective

Purpose Businesses and consumers face significant obstacles to adopting of eco-friendly packaging (EFP). This study identifies the primary barriers to EFP adoption and explores their interrelationships. Design/methodology/approach An extensive literature review and a survey of experts identified the barriers to EFP adoption. Total Interpretive Structural Modeling (TISM) and Matrice d'Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliquée à un Classement (MICMAC) were used to identify the interlaced relationships between these barriers. Findings Fifteen key barriers to EFP adoption were identified. Six independent barriers (e.g. limited consumer education and technological limitations) lead to seven dependent barriers (e.g. intention–behavior gap, low green attitude) which are linked by two linkage barriers (cost–benefit ambiguity and greenwashing practices). Research limitations/implications Selected papers published in English were considered; hence, relevant papers on EFP published in other languages might have been missed, limiting the identification of barriers. Practical implications The findings of this study offer several insights for both practitioners and policymakers. Producers, supply chain partners, and policymakers can leverage these findings regarding barriers, their importance and their interrelationships to encourage EFP adoption. Originality/value This study offers a novel investigation of EFP adoption barriers from the integrated perspectives of the hierarchy of effects theory, institutional theory, and innovation resistance theory in an emerging market.