Sustainability initiatives in supply chain management in garment manufacturing companies in Sri Lanka.

The study investigates sustainability initiatives implemented in supply chain of Sri Lankan apparel companies, evaluating its effects on efficiency. Since sustainability has become more important globally, due in part to regulations, consumer demand and concerns about the environment, the Sri Lankan garment industry is a significant example of investigating how supply chain management can be sustainable. The apparel industry supports Sri Lanka’s economy greatly, but research into the impact of sustainability initiatives on its supply chain is not widely available. The research is focused on finding prevalent sustainability practices, evaluating the KPIs used to assess supply chain efficiency and evaluate the challenges manufacturers encountered when moving towards sustainability. Using this qualitative exploratory design, we obtained data from two main Sri Lankan garment manufacturers by surveys and interviewing managers and executives. Companies are reportedly working on many sustainability operations, including lean manufacturing, energy efficiency, ethical sourcing, waste reduction, recycling, carbon negativity and zero emissions. This set of initiatives is in line with the Triple Bottom Line framework, making sure there is concern for environment, people and the business at the same time. Typical supply chain performance measures, frequently checked, operational cost, lead time, supplier performance, customer satisfaction and reduction of waste and emissions. Analysis reveals that initiatives related to sustainability are effective in decreasing operating costs, increasing efficiency and meeting customer requirements, but still face some challenges managing supplier performance and lead time. Nevertheless, some major challenges including high initial costs, company reluctance to change and shortage of technology experts keep sustainable practices from being adopted more broadly. According to the study, addressing these problems depends on effective leadership, training people and integrating efforts among several organizations. Moreover, it stresses that better sustainability practices and clear reporting are key to keeping the industry improving and making everyone accountable. This study adds important research findings to the SSC literature by investigating sustainability in the Sri Lankan garment industry and suggesting practical guidance for industry leaders and policy creators to advance sustainable and successful supply chains in the country.