International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences

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Integrating Green Lean Six Sigma for Sustainable Operational Excellence: A Review of Applications in Malaysia’s Food and Beverage Industry

Open access

Norhazrina Jamil, Mohd Zulfabli Hasan, Teh Zaharah Yaacob, Siti Zaleha Omain, Norhayati Zakuan

Pages 1415-1427 Received: 16 May, 2025 Revised: 10 Jun, 2025 Published Online: 27 Jun, 2025

http://dx.doi.org/10.46886/IJARBSS/v15-i6/17228
Green Lean Six Sigma (GLSS) represents an integrated methodology combining Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, and environmental management to optimize sustainable processes. This study presents a comprehensive review of scholarly literature and industrial case studies on GLSS implementation within Malaysia’s food and beverage (F&B) industry. It explores the theoretical foundations of Lean Six Sigma and its adaptation to environmental sustainability, emphasizing key performance indicators such as waste minimization, resource efficiency, and carbon emission reduction. Although Lean Six Sigma has improved quality and operational efficiency across industries, its adoption in Malaysia’s F&B sector remains limited and faces industry-specific challenges. The review shows that organizations applying GLSS have achieved notable improvements, including reductions in solid waste, wastewater discharge, energy usage, and operational costs, supporting broader corporate sustainability goals. Key success factors include leadership commitment, a culture of continuous improvement, employee engagement, and effective monitoring of environmental metrics. However, barriers such as low awareness, inadequate training, limited resources, and the complexity of food processing continue to hinder implementation. This review outlines strategies to address these challenges and identifies opportunities to scale GLSS practices in the F&B sector. The findings guide practitioners and policymakers seeking to align operational excellence with Malaysia’s sustainability objectives.
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Jamil, N., Hasan, M. Z., Yaacob, T. Z., Omain, S. Z., & Zakuan, N. (2025). Integrating Green Lean Six Sigma for Sustainable Operational Excellence: A Review of Applications in Malaysia’s Food and Beverage Industry. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 15(6), 1415–1427.