A Systematic Review of Green Apparel Manufacturing

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to conduct a systematic review of the literature on green manufacturing practices in the apparel industry to map green practices across various apparel manufacturing departments. The review includes academic journal articles that were retrieved between March 2013 and March 2023 from several different databases. As part of a comprehensive literature assessment, content analysis was applied to 138 publications that were published in peer-reviewed journals over ten years. Green practices in garment manufacturing process are covered, including product design, raw material procurement, fabric spreading, cutting, sewing and assembly, washing, printing and embroidery, finishing, and packing. The review of eco-friendly production practices at each phase of the production process shows the variety and complexity of green practices in apparel production companies. However, there is a lack of research on the conditions of developing countries, where the majority of apparel production takes place, as well as on the methods used in the manufacture of garments. The study is distinct in that it focuses solely on the garment manufacturing industry, and will not include textiles because the production processes for textiles and clothing are fundamentally different. This study assists managers in building a company’s sustainability competency by outlining best practices at various phases of production. It also provides scholars with a uniform representation of environmentally sustainable practices to spur additional scholarly investigation.