Because of their biodegradable and regenerative properties, cellulose nanocrystals derived primarily from naturally occurring cellulose fibers serve as a sustainable and environmentally beneficial material for most applications. Although these nanocrystals are inherently hydrophilic, they can be surface functionalized to suit a wide range of demanding requirements, such as those associated with the creation of high-performance nanocomposites in hydrophobic polymer matrices. Therefore, the present work deals with the application of cellulose-based biodegradable nanocrystals as a lubricant in the machining of PPS composites. In this study, milling process was considered to investigate the influence of the sustainable lubricating conditions on the machinability indexes of PPS composites. As a novel cooling approach, water-based solutions enriched by cellulose nanocrystals with different reinforcements (0.25%, 0.5%, and 1%) were used over known methods such as MQL, conventional flood, and dry. According to the research outcomes, cellulose nanocrystals-based nanofluids provided satisfying contributions on retarding the tool wear and reducing the cutting temperatures considerably. Despite the surface-related results such as roughness, topography and texture are promising for the developed strategy; further investigations will be useful to determine ideal water-particle concentration to improve the quality of the machined surface.