Assessment of post-consumer plastic packaging waste flow in Chiang Mai: Challenges for low- and high-value plastic waste streams towards a circular economy
Boonyawee Boonyasaranai, Napat Jakrawatana, Shabbir H. Gheewala, Kiyo Kurisu, Sarunnoud Phuphisith
Cleaner Environmental Systems · 2026
Recycling is crucial to achieving a sustainable plastic circular economy. Like many developing countries, Thailand can feasibly achieve source separation for recycling through both formal curbside collection and informal waste gatherers. While the government set specific recycling targets for plastic packaging waste (PPW) at 50% by 2022 and 100% by 2027, a comprehensive understanding of PPW composition and management remains limited. This study examined the flow of different PPW types across six product categories and seven resin types. The analysis covered the entire lifecycle from generation to end-of-life in Chiang Mai city. Measures were also recommended to improve circularity in PPW and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Data collected in 2022 indicated that 23 ± 5% of the total PPW generated was recycled. Bottles had a higher recycling rate through informal channels, while multilayer packaging and cutlery ended up in landfills. Various resins were identified at source PPW generation, but buyers of recyclables currently accept a limited range of PPW categories, including high-value PET and HDPE bottles. Strictly promoting the recycling of high-value PPW will not, on its own, achieve a 50% recycling rate; the city also needs to address low-value PPW. The analysis highlighted challenges in current informal recycling channels and facilities in meeting the ambitious 100% recycling goal, highlighting the need for technological innovations, market development, policy tools, and strategies to support plastic circularity. Insights from this research could benefit other cities with similar waste management systems, particularly those in which informal financial channels drive recycling activities. • Examined post-consumer plastic packaging waste under the formal and informal sectors • Plastic packaging waste was analyzed into six product applications and seven polymers • PET and PE bottles were most accepted via the informal market-driven recycling route • Interventions for low-value plastic packaging waste are crucial to circularity
Comparative life cycle assessment of lithium iron phosphate and nickel manganese cobalt oxide batteries considering refurbishing and remanufacturing pathways
Zeshan Alam, Fahrullazi Fahrullazi, Tehreem Fatima, Menahil Sadiq, Shabbir H. Gheewala
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment · 2026
Comparative assessment of groundwater stress via footprint indices: Development of a revised framework with application to Yom and Nan basins, Thailand
Haseeb Akbar, Maarten S. Krol, Markus Berger, Jitti Mungkalasiri, Shabbir H. Gheewala
Water Science and Engineering · 2026
Groundwater resources are crucial sources of freshwater, underscoring the importance of comprehensive aquifer health assessment for improved management and sustainable utilization. In this study, a novel index for assessing groundwater stress, termed the revised groundwater footprint index, was developed. The new index was compared with earlier versions in a case study of the Yom and Nan river basins in Thailand. The primary strength of the new index lies in its capacity to reduce uncertainties in groundwater stress estimation by avoiding double-counting of contaminated areas, particularly in overlapping zones, and by addressing complexities associated with multiple pollutants. An earlier version known as the integrated groundwater footprint index calculated groundwater stress in the Yom and Nan river basins as 2.75 and 2.13, respectively, significantly exceeding the maximum permissible limit of 1. In contrast, the revised groundwater footprint index yielded much lower stress values of 0.69 and 0.63 in the Yom and Nan river basins, respectively, which more accurately reflected actual conditions. The novel index can serve as a valuable tool for enhanced assessment and management of groundwater resources, supporting progress toward United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6.4 (Water Stress).
From cycling to climate benefit: a perspective on redefining CO <sub>2</sub> utilization for reduction and storage
Adeel Rafiq, Shabbir H. Gheewala
Carbon Footprints · 2026
Carbon capture and utilization (CCU) mitigates climate change by converting CO2 into fuels, chemicals, and construction materials. From a life-cycle perspective, CCU benefits arise from preventing point-source emissions, substituting for carbon-intensive products, and coupling with renewable energy to lower upstream impacts. However, high energy needs, feedstock costs, and capture requirements continue to limit large-scale deployment. This perspective reframes CCU beyond conventional cycling by outlining three strategic pathways: replacing high-emission fossil products such as urea to maximize substitution benefits even when CO2 is later re-emitted; sourcing CO2 from biogenic streams to create near-neutral cycles; and using CO2 as a hydrogen carrier that transports energy and enables subsequent permanent storage through concrete mineralization. Combined with falling renewable electricity costs, industrial co-location, and targeted policy support, CCU can progress from niche demonstrations to a scalable contributor to industrial decarbonization and climate-neutral production.
Multi-criteria assessment of maize value chain sustainability: A case study of Thailand
Napat Jakrawatana, Wiphaphorn Sombat, Chuanchom Nitano, Arisara Charoenpanyanet, Patipat Vongruang, Nakorn Tippayawong, Shabbir H. Gheewala
Cleaner Environmental Systems · 2026
Maize-based feed production in Thailand and the Mekong region drives deforestation, residue burning, greenhouse gas emissions, and nutrient losses, yet integrated evidence on regenerative circular options is scarce. This study develops an integrated value-chain assessment combining substance flow analysis, carbon and phosphorus circularity indicators, 100-year carbon sequestration modeling, satellite-based burned-area and particulate matter estimates, and life cycle assessment to evaluate baseline performance and four improvement scenarios, from all-compost and all-pyrolysis pathways to a hybrid compost–pyrolysis system and highland agroforestry with maize import substitution. Results show that maximizing nutrient circularity does not guarantee maximal climate mitigation: all-compost strategies achieve high P recycling and zero burning but provide limited long-term carbon storage (10% compost C stability over 100 years), whereas full pyrolysis can triple carbon sequestration by stabilizing residues as biochar (68% stability), turning the sector into a net carbon sink. Agroforestry-based land-use change achieves the highest circularity (approximately 42% C and 38% P) by integrating perennial biomass, but it also introduces reliance on imported grain and potential leakage. Overall, the analysis highlights that technically optimal climate solutions face significant logistical barriers and that hybrid, node-matched configurations of pyrolysis, composting, and agroforestry, supported by targeted economic and policy instruments, provide the most realistic pathways to a genuinely regenerative circular maize value chain. • Maximizing nutrient circularity does not guarantee maximal climate mitigation. • Pyrolysis triples carbon sequestration turning maize sector into carbon sink. • Compost achieves high P recycling but provides limited carbon storage. • Agroforestry achieves highest circularity but increases import dependence. • Hybrid pyrolysis-compost systems offer most realistic regenerative pathways.
Assessing the Effect of Intensive Rice Monoculture on Land Degradation Under the SDG 15.3.1 Framework
Nattaya Huailuek, Thapat Silalertruksa, Shabbir H. Gheewala
Agriculture · 2026
Rice monoculture systems, often involving double- or triple-cropping cycles annually, require intensive agricultural practices that can lead to land degradation. This study evaluates land degradation within the long-term rice monoculture systems of Nakhon Sawan, Thailand, using the Sustainable Development Goal 15.3.1 framework. By focusing exclusively on persistent rice-growing areas, the study minimized the confounding signals of land-use conversion, allowing for an evaluation of the trajectories driven by combined agricultural management and climatic factors. The assessment integrated land use and land cover (LULC), soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, and land productivity. Findings indicate that 83% of the original paddy area remained long-term monoculture, with LULC-related degradation limited to 4% of the original paddy cultivation area. While SOC depletion was observed in a few districts, a broader potential carbon accretion trend was identified across the province, likely driven by sustainable post-harvest practices such as stubble retention and organic amendments. Land productivity analysis revealed partial stress only in a few districts. The study demonstrated that long-term rice cultivation did not result in widespread deterioration of soil health on an aggregate provincial scale; however, district-localized degradation hotspots suffering from soil organic carbon depletion and climate-induced productivity stress were identified, demanding targeted regional management.