Enhancing Paperboard Packaging Efficiency with Green Lean Principles: A Review

Facing increased environmental concerns and a shift away from plastic, the paperboard industry is adapting to balance sustainability with efficiency. Driven by strict regulations and a market push for eco-friendly packaging, there’s a need to reassess traditional practices. This systematic literature reviews insights into the adoption of lean methodologies within the paper and paperboard segment of the packaging industry. The research, through database searches and analytical methods, delves into Lean’s integration with automation and its impact on efficiency and sustainability and consolidates a multitude of case studies and scholarly work to assess the on-ground application of the latest lean tools. Although operational advancements are recognized with foundational theories by pioneers like Florida et al. that align lean practices with environmental sustainability, and the applicability of lean tools such as Value Stream Mapping (VSM) and Kaizen in streamlining paperboard manufacturing, the review also illuminates challenges, such as the resistance in workforce adaptation, the complexity of integrating new processes, and inconsistencies in outcomes across established production chains.