Nearly 200 fresh markets in Bangkok have joined a Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) campaign to separate food scraps from other waste, which helps reduce carbon emissions by about 142.5 tonnes per day.
BMA spokesman Aekvarunyoo Amrapala said 184 fresh markets in 50 districts have joined the campaign and at least 75 tonnes of food scraps are better managed per day with this campaign.
He said food scraps including vegetables, fruit and other food piled up in waste bins, produce a foul odour and are a breeding ground for germs which can spread into nearby water sources and also produce a large amount of methane gas.
He said methane is 28 times more potent in destroying the ozone layer than carbon dioxide and it is part of the global climate crisis.
The campaign can reduce 75 tonnes of food waste a day, leading to a reduction in carbon emissions by 142.5 tonnes a day, he said.
He said the food waste can be further used as food for cattle and pigs and for producing fertiliser.
The top market for managing food waste is Maha Nak Market in Dusit district, with 7.83 tonnes of fresh food waste being sorted a day, followed by Klong Toey Soi 8 Market in Klong Toey (6.77 tonnes); Yod Piman Market (4.54 tonnes) and the Thai Agriculture Promotion Market (4.19 tonnes) in Phra Nakhon district's Pak Khlong Talad; and Lad Phrao Soi 123 Market in Bang Kapi district (3.27).
He said almost half of the sorted waste was sent to farmers while 30% was sent to district offices for making fertiliser.