An Integrated Lean and ISO 14001 Implementation for Sustaining Environmental Performance in the Meat Industry

Meat processing facilities have been considered as one of the leading contributors in producing residual waste, air pollutants and inefficient utilization of energy consumption in the food sector. These operational and environmental impact can be mitigated by applying ISO 14001 framework and lean philosophy as a combined approach. However, the scholarly literature on lean philosophy and ISO 14001 as an integrated approach for sustaining environmental and operational improvements is limited. Further, no empirical evidence has been presented in literature for improving environmental performance by applying lean and ISO 14001 as a combined management initiative. Semi-structured interviews with a group of six lean and ISO 14001 consultants have been conducted for collecting primary data on environmental performance in the meat industry. Findings of this investigation revealed that an integrated lean and ISO 14001 strategy depicts a positive impact on waste and environmental performance, enhances the welfare of the workforce and financial stability of stakeholders in the meat industry.