Development of IT Tools to Support Sustainable Production and Consumption
Background
In order to achieve the economic growth and sustainable development, some pathways related to manufacturing, goods and resource consumption need to be readjusted. The key feature is to promote the efficient use of resources and to reduce waste from the industry and consumers.
Goal
To develop IT tools for data communication supporting sustainable production and consumption.
What does the research team do?
- Acquire the common data from the operational process
- Compute the use of resources, raw materials for production and consumption, including impact assessment
- Interpret the findings in forms of tools and applications, focusing on primary solutions to improve production and consumption processes
IT Tool Samples
– MFA Pro (Material Flow Analysis): An analytical tool to help assess the flows for palm oil production process, including estimate an environmental impact. The industry can utilize the results gathered in MFA tool to improve its production process.
This tool have applied to business services sectors.
– Lookie Waste: A mobile-based application which encourages consumers to reduce
the food waste from daily food consumption. This app has been applied to business
services sectors.
– WELA: A web application used for life cycle assessment. It was implemented in 2018
Results
– Provide specificity depending on the purpose.
– Collect the data systematically and work with database with ease.
– Perform fast and accurate calculation with error reduction.
– Present a systematic approach to the data communication and raise consumer’s awareness.
Impacts
– Manufacturing and export industry gain benefits from the tools.
– MFA Pro has accumulated data for improving production process, reducing the production costs, and increasing the competitive advantage in the oil palm industry.
– Lookie Waste raises the consumer’s awareness on consumption behavior to avoid the food waste. This app helps reduce the feed costs and the wasted foods, thus cause a huge impact to environment.
– WELA provides data processing system for life cycle assessment with international standards. Among many benefits, the data can be used as reference, policy implementation, and assessment of eco-labeling in Thailand.
Outlook
Research team will study the measures that affect Thailand’s trade competitiveness and prepare for manufacturing and service industry aligned to international environmental standards. The green business and development of technical guidelines for sustainable development policy are next focuses.
Research Team
MTEC : Dr. Jitti Mungkalasiri and team
Contact
Dr. Jitti Mungkalasiri, Technology and Informatics Institute for Sustainability (TIIS)
Tel: 02 564 6500 ext. 4063
Email: jittim@mtec.or.th
