Exploring the role of lean thinking in sustainable business practice: A systematic literature review

Abstract

The shift towards sustainable manufacturing processes and products has influenced business organizations to improve their environmental performance and efficiency. ‘Lean thinking’ has evolved to ‘lean and green thinking’ as a targeted intervention for organizations to implement sustainable business models that reduce waste and improve material efficiency, and subsequently minimise costs. The lean and green concept however is still relatively new and it remains unclear for many as to how exactly lean thinking can contribute to the sustainability transformation of organizations. The objective of this research was to undertake a systematic literature review of how the implementation of lean and green initiatives could lead to sustainable business practice. This article includes an analysis of both conceptual and empirical research papers discussing various industrial contexts, and evaluation of: a) the impact of lean methods on environmental performance; and b) the variety of integrated lean and green models. The review highlights the ad hoc and limited use of lean thinking within corporate sustainability initiatives and the authors establish a ‘lean and green matrix’ that identifies opportunities to embed lean and green practices in five common work streams including waste, energy, emissions, water and chemical management. In addition to comparing different industries and their systems, this review provides a reference point for further investigation into lean and green practices. The findings contribute to the authors’ research agenda that aims to develop a replicable system for holistically exploring strategies in corporate environmental management and prioritising the most appropriate lean methods. It is proposed that industrial practitioners could benefit from such a system, which could transform their organization’s performance through well-integrated and aligned sustainable business practices.