Bring your trash... to the market to shop in Hoi An.

TPO - Without needing cash, residents and tourists can purchase goods using sorted waste at the "Community Waste Reduction Market" held every Saturday morning in Hoi An ward (Da Nang city). Various types of waste are exchanged for agricultural products, specialties, and bio-based products.

Nestled beneath the shade of ancient trees, every Saturday morning, the "Community Market for Waste Reduction" is held in the grounds of the former Cam Kim Commune People's Committee, bustling with buyers and sellers.
Photo: Giang Thanh

From early morning, farmers and producers in the area were present, displaying their agricultural products, handicrafts, and local food items on neatly arranged tables or on woven mats spread in the shade. All the goods on display were green and environmentally friendly products.

The market opens at 8 am, and customers include both locals and tourists. A unique feature of this market is that people can use their sorted waste to buy goods or exchange items.

Here, organic waste, plastic waste, old books and newspapers, empty cans, etc., are received, weighed, and exchanged for products such as: home-grown vegetables, molasses, ginger beer, palm sugar, or various types of biodegradable cleaning solutions...

Having learned about the market, Ms. Nguyen Thi Lieu (a resident of Hoi An ward) brought various types of organic waste from her daily life, such as peels of vegetables and fruits, and leaves, to buy. She was supported in exchanging them for various types of biodegradable cleaning solutions fermented from the organic waste collected in the community.

"Previously, I used to mix household waste together, but after learning about the market, I started sorting waste at home. Empty cans and plastic bottles can be sold to recycling centers, while agricultural waste and food scraps can be used for composting or exchanged directly here," said Mrs. Lieu.

The market is also the headquarters of Hoi An Eco Hub, which is implementing models for processing sorted waste in the community. Therefore, in addition to buying goods made from waste, participants can visit the waste processing areas, learn about the process of transforming organic waste into fertilizer, cleaning solutions, and raising earthworms, etc.

Members of Hoi An Eco Hub directly guide locals and tourists on how to sort waste at source and how to properly process each type of waste to create useful products.

Therefore, the market attracts not only local residents but also international tourists who come to visit and experience the unique models made from waste. "I wanted to see and try how the community here is handling waste; it was a very interesting experience," said Mark Jensen (a tourist from Denmark).

According to Ms. Vu My Hanh – Founder and CEO of Hoi An Eco Hub, the Community Market for Waste Reduction is currently held regularly every Saturday morning. This is where consumers can meet directly with farmers, small-scale producers, and representatives of local sustainable initiatives.

"The market helps reduce packaging, shorten the distance between producers and consumers, support small-scale livelihoods, and at the same time, create a space for meeting, learning, and inspiring sustainable living for families, young people, and tourists," Ms. Hanh said.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/mang-rac-di-cho-mua-hang-o-hoi-an-post1848070.tpo