Identification of the barriers to the adoption of Circular Supply Chains in Moroccan companies: A combined qualitative analysis and Multi-Criteria Decision Model approach

Abstract

The Circular Economy has been gaining a growing interest in the research community, particularly in recent years. Its application to the Supply Chain Management field is gaining traction in the literature, as the Supply Chain is recognized as a primary avenue for implementing circular models. However, despite this growing interest, there are few documented examples of the implementation of circular supply chains. This article presents a prioritization of barriers to the adoption of circular supply chains using a combined qualitative analysis and Multi-Criteria Decision Models (MCDM) approach. The study identifies 28 barriers grouped into six main categories: financial barriers, regulation barriers, expertise and technology barriers, governance barriers, market barriers, and infrastructure barriers. The prioritization is based on a multi-case study involving six Moroccan companies. The findings highlight the predominance of regulation barriers, followed by financial barriers. Additionally, the study shows the significant role of market barriers in impeding progress toward circularity.