Decision-grade circular pathway design for small and medium-sized enterprise food processing using an integrated process-engineering, life cycle assessment, techno-economic, and multi-criteria framework
Aerwadee Premashthira, Putthadee Ubolsook, Pongthep Jansanthea, S Mujumdar Arun, Songpol Pudwong, Surat Sedpho, Ekkaporn Nawapanan, Thatsanai Thonghuang Kanyaprasit
Food and Bioproducts Processing · 2026
Analysis of life-cycle carbon and water footprints in woodchip production from fast-growing trees in Thailand
Warakhom Wongchai, Sopittaporn Sillapapiromsuk, Thossaporn Onsree, Ekkaporn Nawapanan, Anucha Promwungkwa, Yuttana Mona, Nakorn Tippayawong
Biomass and Bioenergy · 2026
Fast-growing trees (FGTs) are increasingly utilized as woodchips for bioenergy in Thailand. However, a comprehensive sustainability assessment requires the simultaneous evaluation of greenhouse gas emissions and water scarcity impacts across the supply chain. This study quantified and compared the cradle-to-gate carbon and water footprints of woodchip supply chains for Eucalyptus camaldulensis ( E. camaldulensis ) and Acacia hybrid ( A. hybrid). Two distinct processing and logistical configurations were considered: (i) an in-field brush chipper (BC) with chip transport, and (ii) a centralized industrial wood chipper (IWC) with whole-tree transport. Life cycle assessment (LCA) was performed in SimaPro v10.2.0 using ReCiPe 2016 Midpoint (H) v1.08 with Ecoinvent v3.11, and water footprint was assessed using the Hoekstra water scarcity method with a functional unit of 1.0 GJ delivered as woodchips. At 90 km transport, the carbon footprint ranged from 480 to 1400 g CO 2 -eq/GJ, with E . camaldulensis consistently lower than A. hybrid, and BC substantially lower than IWC for both species. The water footprint was dominated by plantation green water and showed little sensitivity to chipper choice, averaging 74.4 m 3 H 2 O-eq/GJ for E . camaldulensis and 88.8 m 3 H 2 O-eq/GJ for A . hybrid. The carbon footprint was primarily driven by diesel-intensive chipping in BC, whereas it was dominated by the transport of whole trees in IWC. These results highlight that logistics and chipping technology selection are critical levers for reducing carbon footprints, while species primarily govern scarcity-weighted water use. Sensitivity screening of land-use change and soil organic carbon (LUC-SOC) indicated that the sign and magnitude of land-related GHG fluxes depend on baseline land cover and the assumed amortization period and can materially influence net cradle-to-gate climate-change results. The findings provide valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders in advancing sustainable bioenergy development.
Green GDP Indicator with Application to Life Cycle of Sugar Industry in Thailand
Ekkaporn Nawapanan, Ratchayuda Kongboon, Sate Sampattagul
Sustainability · 2022
The objective of this study was to develop new indicators that reflect economic growth by taking into account the impact on the environment and natural resources as well. The indicator calculated by subtracting environmental cost from the “Gross Domestic Product (GDP)” and is used in the assessment of the GDP by taking into consideration the cost of natural resources and the environment, called “green GDP”. This study uses Life Cycle Assessment, which is a technique used to assess the environmental impact of sugar industry from raw materials, distribution, production, and waste management. The system boundary for the life cycle inventory are cultivation, planting, transportation and sugar production. The results of the green GDP and GDP is difference about 6–12% due to the depletion cost resulting from the use of natural resources between 9.0–9.52 $/ton of sugar production and the degradation cost caused by the airborne emission and waterborne emission between 37–57 $/ton of sugar production. The quantity of Total Suspended Particulate (TSP) generated from the sugar production process is the main causing the environmental cost about 55%. In order to solve environmental causes, the policy making as Circular Economy Strategies can be used to meet the sustainable development in the future.
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