Analysis of the Carbon Footprint of Academic Gowns: A Case Study of Thai University

Authors

  • Pattanant Petchchedchoo Academic Affairs, Dhurakij Pundit University, Bangkok 10210, Thailand
  • Nit Petcharaks Research and Development Affairs, Dhurakij Pundit University, Bangkok 10210, Thailand https://orcid.org/0009-0009-4209-3931
  • Prashya Piratrakul Faculty of Fine and Applied Art, Dhurakij Pundit University, Bangkok 10210, Thailand https://orcid.org/0009-0001-2291-7210
  • Kamonsiri Wongmuek Faculty of Fine and Applied Art, Dhurakij Pundit University, Bangkok 10210, Thailand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59796/jcst.V14N2.2024.46

Keywords:

academic gown, carbon footprint, climate change, decarbonization policy, design development

Abstract

The apparel industry has a significant impact on climate change due to the substantial amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Academic gowns commonly used in Thailand may be a significant contributor to high GHG levels due to apparel consumption. The objective of this study was to quantify the carbon footprint (CF) of an academic gown for bachelor degree students worn during the commencement ceremony at a private Thai university. The evaluation complies with the national guidelines on Carbon Footprint of Product (CFP) established by the Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO) in line with ISO 14067:2018 Greenhouse gases - Carbon footprint of products - Requirements and guidelines for quantification. Considering only a single impact category: climate change, GHG emissions were calculated for the entire product life cycle, including raw material acquisition, production process, distribution, use, and the end-of-life (EoL) treatment, and relevant transportation/delivery. Data in this study were collected from the entrepreneur producing academic gowns for rental purposes. The numerical results revealed that CFP of an academic gown with a length of 40 inches, weighing 1,284.30 g, is 42.7 kgCO2-eq over its entire life cycle with 39.71% contributing from use phase and EoL treatment. The stages of raw material acquisition, use phase and production process caused most of the emissions at 41.08%, 33.69% and 18.49%, respectively. The carbon footprint of this gown serves as an important baseline data to enhance design development and the production process for emission reductions.

Author Biographies

Pattanant Petchchedchoo, Academic Affairs, Dhurakij Pundit University, Bangkok 10210, Thailand

Dr. Pattanant Petchchedchoo possesses the following academic qualifications: a B.Acc. in Accounting from Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand, earned in 1992; an M.B.A. in Finance from Assumption University in 1995; M.Sc. in Accounting Information System from Chulalongkorn University in 2000; an M.Acc. in Accounting from Ohio State University, USA in 2002; and a Ph.D. in Accounting, from the University of Manchester, UK in 2009. At Dhurakij Pundit University, she currently holds the position of Assistant Professor while teaching at the College of Innovative Business and Accountancy and serves as the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Vice President for Research and Development. In the realm of higher education institutions, she brings a wealth of experience in accounting, information systems, finance, risk management, and decarbonization — each of which aligns with her academic interests. She holds membership in the Federation of Accounting Professions under the Royal Patronage of His Majesty the King. Her notable recognitions include the "Academic Excellence" award from Chulalongkorn University, the "Top Three Best Performance in the First Year of Study" award from Ohio University, the "Accounting Teaching Excellence Award" from The Office of Private Education Commission under the Ministry of Education.

Nit Petcharaks, Research and Development Affairs, Dhurakij Pundit University, Bangkok 10210, Thailand

Nit Petcharaks, Associate Professor, received the B.Eng. and M.Eng degree in electrical engineering from Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, in 1983 and 1993, respectively, and Doctoral degree in Engineering,  Electric Power System Management (EPSM) from Asian Institute of Technology, Pathumtani, Thailand. She is currently an Associate Professor of College of innovative Technology and Engineering, and senior researcher at Dhurakij Pundit University.   She has experience in electrical power system such as generation scheduling, spinning reserve, electric vehicles penetration, environmental impact, and carbon footprint in higher education institution. Her interests are generation scheduling, power system operation, and decarbonization. She is a member of the council of engineers, Thailand.

Prashya Piratrakul, Faculty of Fine and Applied Art, Dhurakij Pundit University, Bangkok 10210, Thailand

Prashya Piratrakul received a Bachelor of Fine and Applied Arts degree (Textile and Fashion Design) from Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand in 2000 and received a Master's degree in Fashion and Textile Design from Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand in 2009. He has experience in uniform design for companies and fabric pattern design. He was a lecturer for 10 years at Dhurakij Pundit University. His research interests include Textile Design, Print Design and Fashion design

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Published

2024-05-02

How to Cite

Petchchedchoo, P., Petcharaks, N., Piratrakul, P., & Wongmuek, K. (2024). Analysis of the Carbon Footprint of Academic Gowns: A Case Study of Thai University. Journal of Current Science and Technology, 14(2), Article 46. https://doi.org/10.59796/jcst.V14N2.2024.46

Issue

Vol. 14 No. 2 (2024): May - August

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Research Article

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