Although this study was not designed to investigate the barriers to GL practices and GSCM, the findings have shed light on the challenges of GL implementation in developing countries such as China. These challenges include:
- relatively low public awareness of sustainability and environmental protection hence weaker pressure on manufacturers to go green;
- lack of comprehensive environmental policies, regulations, and directives such as the restriction of hazardous substance and the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment directives of the European Community (EU) ([20], [21] European Parliament and Council, 2003a, b) to force compliance;
- limited investment in green technology, research and development to enhance efficiency and achieve economies of scale;
- over-emphasis on low-cost production and short-term benefits than long-term gains in order to maintain competitiveness in the global market; and
- lack of resources, expertises, and management experiences in GSCM particularly for the small manufacturers.
These observations align with the comments made by some researchers in China that both the country's hardware and softwa