Integrating lean principles into sustainability initiatives in the manufacturing sector: a systematic literature review of green and lean practices

Purpose This study examines how lean management concepts might help production industries achieve sustainability goals as sustainability becomes a strategic necessity. This review aims to show how the manufacturing sector's sustainability goals are supported by the application of lean management concepts. Design/methodology/approach This study employs a systematic literature review (SLR) methodology, consolidating 63 peer-reviewed articles from the period 2010–2025. The review is protocol-driven utilizing Scopus-based keyword searching, predetermined inclusion and exclusion criterion, and thematic coding of extracted data. Studies were analyzed according to variables such as lean tools, sustainability dimensions, geography and reported outcomes. Findings The review identified seven thematic clusters of lean-sustainability integration: classical tool application for operational efficiency, digital and Industry 4.0 alignment, green/environmental initiatives, supply chain integration, strategic and organizational barriers, social outcomes, system-wide triple bottom line outcomes. Among the 63 studies, 57% addressed all three dimensions of the triple bottom line, 41% of studies addressed only one or two Sustainability dimensions. While social implications were the least addressed and showed the most variability, most research found favorable economic results, followed by environmental advantages. A thorough review of an outlier analysis (2%) was indicated with a significance of context, implementation quality and strategic alignment. Specific Lean Tool effect analysis revealed a significant relationship between 5S and the social dimension; Value Stream Mapping and the environmental dimension; and Total Productive Maintenance and the economic dimension and major gaps such as poor empirical evidence and the lack of emphasis on social sustainability. Originality/value This review contributes comprehensively through an integrated synthesis of contemporary research on lean-sustainability integration in manufacturing. It offers insights into both opportunities and challenges of current work and assists researchers, practitioners and policymakers in developing more context-aware and balanced sustainable operations frameworks. It also extends prior literature through the development of tool-specific insights, theoretical grounding and critical analysis of contradictory evidence; elements often underdeveloped in prior systematic reviews.