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In many emerging economies, fresh markets or wet markets play crucial roles in everyday life of people (Kelly et al., 2014; Wertheim-Heck, et al., 2014; Zhang et al., 2016). Fresh markets are places where vendors meet customers to negotiate for food and food stuffs. Next to exchanging food stuffs, bonds beyond economic transactions are established at fresh markets. On a daily basis, people meet and engage with one another in fresh market settings, resulting in the establishment of unique relationships (Wertheim-Heck et al., 2014). Therefore, fresh markets represent the (changing) economic contexts, socio-cultural backgrounds, and ways of life in the setting (Chaiwanichaya, 2018; Wertheim-Heck et al., 2014).
In various areas of Thailand, including Ubon Ratchathani, fresh markets have served as important places for selling and buying foods and food stuffs. Located in the northeast of Thailand, Ubon Ratchathani is Thailand’s third most populous province. The development of fresh markets has been made in parallel with the modernization of the city and the enforcement of food safety regulations (Chaiwanichaya, 2018). Currently, there are around 40 large fresh markets operating in the province. Unlike many cities in Thailand (e.g., Bangkok) that modern food retailing (e.g., supermarkets) has increasingly become important market places (Kantamaturapoj et al., 2012; Kantamaturapoj et al., 2019), fresh markets in Ubon Ratchathani remain important in the current economic and socio-cultural contexts for local people.
It is undeniable that environmental management of fresh markets is essential for realizing sustainability. The operation of fresh markets entails serious environmental impacts, including wastewater and solid waste (Alamgir & Ahsan, 2007; Kotlakome et al., 2020; Saad et al., 2016). For solid waste generated in fresh markets, organic waste is produced at the largest portion. The issue of organic waste plays roles in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as it contributes to food loss and food waste (FAO, 2011, 2013; UNEP, 2021). Therefore, the management and arrangement of solid waste in fresh markets becomes an important aspect for achieving SDGs. Different fresh markets have different solid waste managements and arrangements, which are linked to and shaped by regulations and interactions between different actors, including markets’ owners, vendors, customers, governmental agencies, and local communities.
This research investigates and compares alternatives to improve the solid waste management systems of two important fresh markets in Ubon Ratchathani with different ownerships – publicly owned and privately owned fresh markets. The Municipal Market 3 represents publicly owned fresh market, while the Don Klang Market represents privately owned fresh market. The concepts of waste hierarchy (e.g., Papargyropoulou et al., 2014; Price & Joseph, 2000) and triad-network model (e.g., Mol, 1995; Sriwichailamphan, 2007; Thongplew, van Koppen, & Spaargaren, 2016) are applied in this research. Two main research questions are ‘What are the influences of economic, policy, and societal networks in addressing the solid waste problems of the Municipal Market 3 and the Don Klang Market?’ and ‘What are the possible strategies to improve waste management systems of the Municipal Market 3 and the Don Klang Market?’
The article begins with framing the theoretical framework and presenting research methods (Section 2). Then, the results on the contextual information, the dynamics of waste management system, and the proposed waste management strategies of the two selected are presented (Sections 3 and 4). In the final section (Section 5), findings of the two markets are compared, discussed, and concluded.