A Feasibility Study on the Transformation and Sustainable Development of “Disposable Tableware” in Taiwan Night Market

Abstract

Taiwan’s night markets have a long history and are well-known overseas. Visiting a night market is one of the essential trips for foreign tourists who come to Taiwan. For short-stay travelers, the night market gives them a variety of typical Taiwanese cuisine experiences in a short period of time and the feeling of Taiwanese culture full of warm hospitality. For locals, the night market is an important part of daily life. Besides enjoying food inside the shops, many people prefer to eat while walking, or take food back home. As a result, a lot of lunch boxes and utensils are used and unfortunately, much of this cutlery such as disposable chopsticks, foam bowls, and other disposable table-ware is difficult to degrade and not environmentally friendly. Nowadays, there are more than 400-night markets in Taiwan and it is easy to imagine how much garbage will be produced even if only a quarter of these are open every day. If we fail to handle this waste problem properly, the environment will bear a heavy burden. This study will trace the history of Taiwan’s night markets, look for potential cultural factors, and analyze the impact of consumer behavior and eating habits on the design of tableware. It is expected to establish a sustainable development system to reduce and gradually eliminate “Disposable Tableware” in the future. Based on this, we will further enhance the night market experience of both Taiwanese people and tourists and explore the connotation of night market culture with the core of “Eating-together”, “Sharing” and “Interaction”. Through Value-added culture, it is possible to convert such new tableware into a special “cultural product” that becomes a potential derivative of the night market culture.