The purchasing function is in a critical position to infuence an organization's response to concerns about the natural environment. As purchasing takes on a more strategic role in an organization, and is integrally involved with the formation of trading partnerships, it is expected that such infuence will only grow. The examination of environmental issues in purchasing is a relatively recent research topic. The study of these issues is fragmented, usually looking at only one task or area of concern within a supply chain at a time. Many of the research techniques employed to date have been exploratory, and attempt to derive rudimentary denitions and an understanding of the scope of environmental purchasing. The published academic research in environmental purchasing only covers a fraction of the experience and practices found in many organizations, which makes theory development a challenging task. The purposes of this paper are to review and synthesize several common themes found in this scattered literature stream and propose a theoretical direction for future research in environmental