Metal-cutting process deals with the removal of material using the shearing operation with the help of hard cutting tools. Machining operations are famous in the manufacturing sector due to their capability to manufacture tight tolerances and high dimensional accuracy while simultaneously maintaining the cost-effectiveness for higher production levels. As metal-cutting processes consume a great amount of input resources and generate some material-based waste streams, these processes are highly criticized due to their high and negative environmental impacts. Researchers in the metal-cutting sector are currently exploring and benchmarking different activities and best practices to make the cutting operation environment friendly in nature. These eco-friendly practices mainly cover the wide range of activities directly or indirectly associated with the metal-cutting operation. Most of the literature for sustainable metal-cutting activities revolves around the sustainable lubrication techniques to minimize the negative influence of cutting fluids on the environment. However, there is a need to enlarge the assessment domain for the metal-cutting process and other directly and indirectly associated practices such as enhancing sustainability through innovative methods for workpiece and cutting tool materials, and approaches to optimize energy consumption should also be explored. The aim of this article is to explore the role of energy consumption and the influence of workpiece and tool materials towards the sustainability of machining process. The article concludes that sustainability of the machining process can be improved by incorporating different innovative approaches related to the energy and tool–workpiece material consumptions.
