This research discusses the integration of Lean Manufacturing (LM) and Green
Manufacturing (GM) as a cohesive strategy for enhancing operational efficiency and
environmental sustainability. The review, informed by recent empirical studies,
illustrates that fundamental Lean tools—such as 5S, SMED, Kaizen, Root Cause
Analysis, Value Stream Mapping, and Just-in-Time—consistently diminish nonvalue-added activities, augment workflow stability, and enhance productivity across
various industrial sectors. These operational improvements directly result in
environmental advantages, including reduced energy use, diminished CO₂ emissions,
lowered water usage, and minimal material waste. While Lean Manufacturing (LM)
and Green Manufacturing (GM) share core tenets of waste reduction, the literature
highlights various discrepancies, including the environmental impact of frequent
changeovers, heightened logistical emissions from Just-In-Time (JIT) systems, and
the embodied energy associated with the duplication of Single-Minute Exchange of
Die (SMED) tools. The paper tackles these difficulties by presenting a cohesive
Lean–Green paradigm, emphasizing Industry 4.0 technologies as essential
facilitators of real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and resource-efficient
optimization. A pragmatic roadmap is offered to assist small and medium-sized
organizations (SMEs) in the cost-effective implementation of Lean–Green practices.
The synthesis highlights the strategic importance of Lean–Green integration and
provides prospective research avenues for quantifying environmental consequences
and evaluating digitally enabled sustainability enhancements