Potential for Environmentally Friendly Business Practices Among Coffee Shop Business Owners in Thailand

Authors

  • Wisakha Phoochinda Graduate School of Environmental Development Administration, National Institute of Development Administration, Thailand
  • Nicharnan Patitas National Institute of Development Administration

Keywords:

green coffee shop, environmentally friendly business, potential of business owner

Abstract

The study aims to analyze the potential and limitations of coffee shop owners in practicing environmentally friendly business and to propose guidelines for promoting such practices in the dimensions of production and services. Data were collected through surveys from 272 coffee shop owners in tourist areas in Thailand using accidental sampling and interviews with 15 coffee shop owners interested in environmentally friendly business practices. The data analysis includes descriptive statistics and qualitative data retrieved from interviews. The study's findings reveal that over half (59.56%) of the sample coffee shop owners have expectations for conducting business that supports environmentally friendly practices and demonstrates social and environmental responsibility. Most coffee shop owners repair equipment rather than buy new ones, with 81.62% doing so. Furthermore, the study found that most coffee shop owners are inclined to enhance their business’s environmental friendliness, starting with waste sorting at 79.60%. Coffee shop owners interested in conducting environmentally friendly businesses pay attention to sustainable development from upstream to downstream. This includes selecting chemical-free coffee beans and ensuring that the coffee production process does not harm the environment. They also focus on eco-friendly waste management. At the same time, they acknowledge common limitations due to the absence of supportive policies and initiatives from the government sector, such as the higher cost of environmentally friendly packaging compared to plastic packaging. Additionally, there is a lack of consumer awareness and promotion of sustainable consumption and limited support for producing organic coffee beans, all of which reflect a lack of commitment to societal responsibility.

References

C Services GmbH. (2022). The 4C certification system. Retrieved from https://www.4c-services.org/ process/certification-scopes/

Busser, S., & Jungbluth, N. (2009). The Role of Flexible Packaging in the Life Cycle of Coffee and Butter. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 14(14), S80–S91.

Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries. (2021). The European Market Potential for Certified Coffee. Retrieved from https://www.cbi.eu/market-information /coffee/certified-coffee/market-potential

Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries. (2021). The European Market Potential for Certified Coffee. Retrieved from https://www.cbi.eu/market-information/coffee/certified-coffee/market-potential

Coltro, L., Mourad, A. L., Oliveira, P., Baddini, J., & Kletecke, R. (2006). Environmental Profile of Brazilian Green Coffee. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 11, 16–21.

De Monte, M., Padoano, E., & Pozzetto, D. (2005). Alternative Coffee Packaging: An analysis from a life cycle point of view. Journal of Food Engineering, 66, 405–411.

Department of Marine and Coastal Resources. (2023). Situation of marine garbage (2021). Retrieved from https://km.dmcr.go.th/c_260/d_19695 (in Thai)

Environmental Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University. (2019). Overview of measures to reduce single-use plastic waste abroad. Retrieved from https://ej.eric.chula.ac.th/article/view/151 (in Thai)

Environmental Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University. (2023). Coffee grounds: From coffee cups to circular economy concepts for biological products. Retrieved from https://ej.eric.chula.ac.th/article/view/66 (in Thai)

Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International. (2021). Coffee. Retrieved from https://www.fairtrade.net/product/coffee

Food Intelligence Center Thailand. (2019). Thailand food market report January 2019. Retrieved from https://fic.nfi.or.th/upload/market_overview/Rep_Cafe_15.01.62.pdf (in Thai)

Furfori, S., Portis, C., Cabilli, A., Vanii, A., Breedveld, L., & Barrale, R. (2012). LCA of One Cup of Espresso Coffee: How to Collect and Validate LCA Data along the Coffee Supply Chain. International Conference on Life Cycle Assessment in the Agri-Food Sector, 8.

Geibler, J. V., Cordaro, F., Kennedy, K., Lettenmeier, M., & Roche, B. (2016). Integrating Resource Efficiency in Business Strategies: A Mixed-Method Approach for Environmental Life Cycle Assessment in the Single-Serve Coffee Value Chain. Journal of Cleaner Production, 115, 62–74.

Hassard, H., Couch, M., Techa-Erawan, T., & McLellan, B. C. (2014). Product Carbon Footprint and Energy Analysis of Alternative Coffee Products in Japan. Journal of Cleaner Production, 73, 310–321.

Hellweg, S., & Milá i Canals, L. (2014). Emerging Approaches, Challenges and Opportunities. Life Cycle Assessment, 344, 1109–1113.

Hicks, A. L., & Halvorsen, H. (2019). Environmental Impact of Evolving Coffee Technologies. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 24, 1396–1408.

Hoekstra, A. (2015). The Sustainability of a Single Activity, Production Process or Product. Ecological Indicators, 57, 82–84.

Humbert, S., Loerincik, Y., Rossi, V., Margni, M., & Jolliet, O. (2009). Life Cycle Assessment of Spray Dried Soluble Coffee and Comparison with Alternatives (drip filter and capsule espresso). Journal of Cleaner Production, 17, 1351–1358.

Jambeck, J. R., Geyer, R., Wilcox, C., Siegler, T. R., Perryman, M., Andrady, A., Narayan, R., & Law, K. L. (2015). Plastic Waste Inputs from Land into the Ocean. Science, 347(6223), 768-771.

Jeong, E., Jang, S. S., Day, J., & Ha, S. (2014). The Impact of Eco-Friendly Practices on Green Image and Customer Attitudes: An Investigation in a Café Setting. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 41, 10-20.

Jitrapirom, T., & Suksri, S. N. (2015). The Consumers’ Decision-Making Behavior to Select Freshly Brewed Coffee Shop Services in Amphoe Mueang, Suratthani Province. Journal of Management Sciences, 2(1), 115-131. (in Thai)

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. (2023). Pyrolysis technology: Changing plastic waste into oil helps reduce pollution and global warming. Retrieved from https://www.mnre.go.th/th/news/detail/121075 (in Thai)

Nestlé Group. (2003). AAA sustainable quality program. Retrieved from https://www.nespresso.com/ ncp/positive/th/th#!/sustainability/aaa-sustainable-quality

Office of Agricultural Economics. (2021). Situation of important agricultural products and trends in 2022. Retrieved from https://www.oae.go.th/assets/portals/1/files/journal/2565/ trendstat2565-Final-Download.pdf (in Thai)

Office of Agricultural Economics. (2022). Coffee: Perennial space, fruitful area, yield, and yield per rai including countries and regions, and by province in 2021. Retrieved from https://www.oae.go.th/assets/portals/1/fileups/prcaidata/files/coffee%2064(2).pdf (in Thai)

Udomthanasansakul, P. (2021). The Relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate Reputation and Competitive Advantage Factors of Small and Medium Enterprises. Journal of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce in Humanities and Social Sciences, 41(4), 44-60. (in Thai)

Pollution Control Department. (2022). Thailand state of pollution report 2021. Retrieved from https://www.pcd.go.th/publication/26626 (in Thai)

Rainforest Alliance. (2020). UTZ certification (Now part of the Rainforest Alliance). Retrieved from https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/utz/

Rainforest Alliance. (2021). What does “Rainforest Alliance certified” mean?. Retrieved from https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/insights/what-does-rainforest-alliance-certified-mean/

SCS Global Services. (2022). Starbucks C.A.F.E. practices. Retrieved from https://www.scsglobalservices.com/services/starbucks-cafe-practices

TGO Climate Action Academy. (2020). Sustainable consumption and production … Mission to save the world. Retrieved from https://caacademy.tgo.or.th/การบริโภคและการผลิตอย่/ (in Thai)

Saengmaneedech, T. (2024). Applying the Circular Economy to Gain Trade Advantages in Fashion Recycling Business. Journal of Administrative and Management Innovation, 12(1), 1-15. (in Thai)

U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2004). USDA organic. Retrieved from https://www.usda.gov/topics /organic

United Nations Environment Programme. (2020). Goal 12: Sustainable consumption and production. Retrieved from https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/sustainable-development-goals/why-do-sustainable-development-goals-matter/goal-12

World Economic Forum. (2020). White paper: Plastics, the circular economy and global trade. Retrieved from https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Plastics_the_Circular_Economy_ and_Global_Trade_2020.pdf

Downloads

Published

2024-06-30

How to Cite

Phoochinda, W., & Patitas, N. (2024). Potential for Environmentally Friendly Business Practices Among Coffee Shop Business Owners in Thailand. Local Administration Journal, 17(2), 223–244. Retrieved from https://so04.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/colakkujournals/article/view/268381