IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i18p8511-d1755251.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Economic Value-Added Innovative Management of Leaf Waste in Green Areas of Government Agencies, Bangkok, Thailand

Author

Listed:
  • Aroon Akaravarothai

    (College of Innovative Management, Valaya Alongkorn Rajabhat University Under Royal Patronage, Prathum Thani 13180, Thailand)

  • Napattchan Dansawad

    (Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10140, Thailand)

  • Pattama Jitrabiab

    (College of Innovative Management, Valaya Alongkorn Rajabhat University Under Royal Patronage, Prathum Thani 13180, Thailand)

  • Ichangdaw Boruah

    (College of Innovative Management, Valaya Alongkorn Rajabhat University Under Royal Patronage, Prathum Thani 13180, Thailand)

  • Rashmi Chetia

    (College of Innovative Management, Valaya Alongkorn Rajabhat University Under Royal Patronage, Prathum Thani 13180, Thailand)

  • Ananya Popradit

    (College of Innovative Management, Valaya Alongkorn Rajabhat University Under Royal Patronage, Prathum Thani 13180, Thailand)

Abstract

Government-managed urban green spaces in Bangkok produce large quantities of leaf waste, which are typically sent to landfills, incurring considerable costs. This study assessed a novel method for valorizing this waste by converting dried, ground leaf material into compressed planting blocks (PL) to serve as a soil substitute. Annual leaf waste data from three government agencies were used to estimate production capacity and inform economic modeling. Agronomic trials with Mitragyna speciosa (Korth.) Havil. compared PL, coconut fiber (PC), and mixed soil with fertilizer over eight weeks in controlled nursery conditions. The results indicated that PL supported plant growth with a final mean height of 20.10 ± 2.01 cm, similar to PC (20.70 ± 1.90 cm) and significantly greater than soil (14.40 ± 1.50 cm) ( p < 0.001). Economic analysis showed high net present values (THB 9.16–13.76 million) and very short payback periods (less than 0.08 years). The process proved technically feasible and profitable, while also reducing waste disposal costs, minimizing landfill emissions, and providing a cost-effective, biodegradable planting medium. This method presents a scalable solution for sustainable organic waste management in tropical urban areas, supporting several Sustainable Development Goals and advancing the circular bioeconomy.

Suggested Citation

  • Aroon Akaravarothai & Napattchan Dansawad & Pattama Jitrabiab & Ichangdaw Boruah & Rashmi Chetia & Ananya Popradit, 2025. "Economic Value-Added Innovative Management of Leaf Waste in Green Areas of Government Agencies, Bangkok, Thailand," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-15, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:18:p:8511-:d:1755251
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/18/8511/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/18/8511/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. United Nations UN, 2015. "Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," Working Papers id:7559, eSocialSciences.
    2. Xiang Huang & Yapan Qu & Zhentao Zhu & Qiuchi Wu, 2023. "Techno-Economic Analysis of Photovoltaic Hydrogen Production Considering Technological Progress Uncertainty," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-29, February.
    3. Isabel Brás & Elisabete Silva & Roberta Raimondo & Raffaella Saetta & Vincenzo Mignano & Massimiliano Fabbricino & José Ferreira, 2024. "Valorisation of Forest and Agriculture Residual Biomass—The Application of Life Cycle Assessment to Analyse Composting, Mulching, and Energetic Valorisation Strategies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-20, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Paulina Schiappacasse & Bernhard Müller & Le Thuy Linh, 2019. "Towards Responsible Aggregate Mining in Vietnam," Resources, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-15, August.
    2. Pina Puntillo, 2023. "Circular economy business models: Towards achieving sustainable development goals in the waste management sector—Empirical evidence and theoretical implications," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(2), pages 941-954, March.
    3. R. Ebrahimi & S. Choobchian & H. Farhadian & I. Goli & E. Farmandeh & H. Azadi, 2022. "Investigating the effect of vocational education and training on rural women’s empowerment," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-11, December.
    4. repec:bdu:ojjppa:v:10:y:2025:i:1:p:46-62:id:3297 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Bárbara Galleli & Elder Semprebon & Joyce Aparecida Ramos dos Santos & Noah Emanuel Brito Teles & Mateus Santos de Freitas-Martins & Raquel Teodoro da Silva Onevetch, 2021. "Institutional Pressures, Sustainable Development Goals and COVID-19: How Are Organisations Engaging?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-21, November.
    6. Anna Napiórkowska & Piotr Zaborek & Marzanna Katarzyna Witek-Hajduk & Anna Grudecka, 2025. "Individual Cultural Values and Charitable Crowdfunding: Driving Social Sustainability Through Consumer Engagement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-26, June.
    7. Sagarika Dey & Priyanka Devi, 2019. "Impact of TVET on Labour Market Outcomes and Women’s Empowerment in Rural Areas: A Case Study from Cachar District, Assam," Indian Journal of Human Development, , vol. 13(3), pages 357-371, December.
    8. Maria Sassi, 2020. "A SEM Approach to the Direct and Indirect Links between WaSH Services and Access to Food in Countries in Protracted Crises: The Case of Western Bahr-el-Ghazal State, South Sudan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-13, November.
    9. Olga Stepanova & Magdalena Romanov, 2021. "Urban Planning as a Strategy to Implement Social Sustainability Policy Goals? The Case of Temporary Housing for Immigrants in Gothenburg, Sweden," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-17, February.
    10. Michel, Hanno, 2020. "From local to global: The role of knowledge, transfer, and capacity building for successful energy transitions," Discussion Papers, Research Group Digital Mobility and Social Differentiation SP III 2020-603, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    11. Hervé Corvellec & Johan Hultman & Anne Jerneck & Susanne Arvidsson & Johan Ekroos & Niklas Wahlberg & Timothy W. Luke, 2021. "Resourcification: A non‐essentialist theory of resources for sustainable development," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(6), pages 1249-1256, November.
    12. Wilson Charles Wilson & Maja Slingerland & Frederick P. Baijukya & Hannah Zanten & Simon Oosting & Ken E. Giller, 2021. "Integrating the soybean-maize-chicken value chains to attain nutritious diets in Tanzania," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(6), pages 1595-1612, December.
    13. Jones, Lindsey & d'Errico, Marco, 2019. "Whose resilience matters? Like-for-like comparison of objective and subjective evaluations of resilience," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 1-1.
    14. Bin Xue & Bingsheng Liu & Tao Liang & Dong Zhao & Tao Wang & Xingbin Chen, 2022. "A heterogeneous decision criteria system evaluating sustainable infrastructure development: From the lens of multidisciplinary stakeholder engagement," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(4), pages 556-579, August.
    15. Sudheesh Ramapurath Chemmencheri, 2016. "Social Protection as a Human Right in South Asia," Indian Journal of Human Development, , vol. 10(2), pages 236-252, August.
    16. Ingrid Boas & Frank Biermann & Norichika Kanie, 2016. "Cross-sectoral strategies in global sustainability governance: towards a nexus approach," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 449-464, June.
    17. Joyeeta Gupta & Louis Lebel, 0. "Access and allocation in earth system governance: lessons learnt in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-18.
    18. Guo, Jiaqi & Wang, Qiang & Li, Rongrong, 2024. "Can official development assistance promote renewable energy in sub-Saharan Africa countries? A matter of institutional transparency of recipient countries," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    19. Kinyondo, Abel Alfred & Ntegwa, Magashi Joseph & Masawe, Cresencia Apolinary, . "Socioeconomic Inequality in Maternal Healthcare Services: The Case of Tanzania," African Journal of Economic Review, African Journal of Economic Review, vol. 10(01).
    20. Francesco Bandarin & Enrico Ciciotti & Marco Cremaschi & Giovanna Madera & Paolo Perulli & Diana Shendrikova, 2020. "Which Future for Cities after COVID-19 An international Survey," Reports, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei, October.
    21. Thore, Sten, 2022. "Sustainable development goal deficits and the Covid 19 pandemic," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:18:p:8511-:d:1755251. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.