Effects of Green Manufacturing Practices on Sustainable Performance of Plastic Manufacturing Firms: A Case of Ndola District of Copperbelt Province, Zambia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54741/MJAR/6.4.2026.330Keywords:
green manufacturing, sustainable performance, environmental performance, economic performance, social performance, plastic industryAbstract
The study explored the relationship between green manufacturing practices and sustainable performance in plastic manufacturing firms across Ndola district, Zambia. Key findings include high assimilation of internal energy optimization and environmental auditing practices, but less common external partnerships around waste collection or water recycling. The study found a positive relationship between green manufacturing practices and sustainable performance, with educational backgrounds significantly influencing the adoption of sustainability practices. While there is a positive orientation towards eco-efficient operations, the study recommends expanding the scope of sustainability practices and performance indicators, underpinned by targeted education and training programs and policy emphasis to leverage the industry's full potential for sustainability.
Downloads
References
Abdul-Rashid et al. (2017). The impact of sustainable manufacturing practices on sustainability performance: empirical evidence from Malaysia. International Journal of Operations and Production Management, 37(2), 182-204.
Africa Business Pages. (2023). Evaluating the effectiveness of green manufacturing in Zambia's plastic industry. African Business Journal, 29(1), 45-60.
Awan, U., M.G. Arnold, & I. Gölgeci. (2021). Enhancing green product and process innovation: Towards an integrative framework of knowledge acquisition and environmental investment. Bus. Strategy Environ., 30, 1283–1295.
Bai, C., J. Sarkis, & Y. Dou. (2015). Corporate sustainability development in China: review and analysis. Industrial Management and Data Systems, 115(1), 5-40.
Beier, G., H. Rutjes, & E. Van Der Werff. (2018). Environmental and social impacts of industrial manufacturing since the 18th century. Journal of Sustainable Production, 22(3), 234-251.
Bhattacharya, A. (2011). Green manufacturing – Energy, products and processes. Proceedings of Confederation of Indian Industry. USA, Boston.
Chuang, S. P., & C.L. Yang. (2014). Key success factors when implementing a green- manufacturing system. Production Planning & Control, 25(11), 923-937.
Cooper, D. R., & P.S. Schindler. (2006). Business research methods. (9th Ed.). Boston, USA: McGraw-Hill.
Fernando, Y., & W.X. Wah. (2017). The impact of eco-innovation drivers on environmental performance: Empirical results from the green technology sector in Malaysia. Sustainable Production and Consumption 12, 27–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. spc.2017.05.002
Ghazilla et al. (2015. Drivers and barriers analysis for green manufacturing practices in Malaysian SMEs: A preliminary findings. Procedia CIRP, 26, 658-663.
Gupta, H., & M.K. Barua. (2018). A framework to overcome barriers to green innovation in SMEs using BWM and Fuzzy TOPSIS. Sci. Total Environ., 633, 122–139.
Hami, N., S. Yusoff, & H. Hashim. (2016). Green manufacturing practices and their impact on organizational performance. Environmental Management and Sustainable Development, 5(4), 122-138.
Henao, R., W. Sarache, & I. Gómez. (2019). Lean manufacturing and sustainable performance: Trends and future challenges. Journal of Cleaner Production, 208, 99-116.
Lozano et al. (2018). New perspectives for green and sustainable chemistry and engineering: Approaches from sustainable resource and energy use, management, and transformation. Journal of Cleaner Production, 172, 227–232. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JCLEPRO.2017.10.145
Mwanza, B.G., & C. Mbohwa. (2017). Major obstacles to sustainability in the plastic industry. Procedia Manufacturing, 8, 121-128.
Rusinko, C.A. (2007). Green manufacturing: An evaluation of environmentally sustainable manufacturing practices and their impact on competitive outcomes. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 54(3), 445–454. https://doi.org/10.1109/TEM.2007.900806
Zhu, Q., Sarkis, J., & Geng, Y. (2005). Green supply chain management in China: pressures, practices and performance. International Journal of Operations and Production Management, 25(5), 449-468.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Jane Mwaba Chishimba

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Research Articles in 'Management Journal for Advanced Research' are Open Access articles published under the Creative Commons CC BY License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. This license allows you to share – copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format. Adapt – remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.




