This study examined the effects of economic development on the commercialised and non-commercialised segments of informal food waste recycling in Da Nang City, Vietnam. Food waste was collected from the urban centre and used as pig feed in swine farms in suburban areas. The commercialised and non-commercialised segments of this system have evolved differently over time. During our observation period of 2011–2016, swine farmers became concerned about economic efficiency, which affected the manner in which they used food waste. By 2016, more farmers had begun to use food waste brokers instead of collecting food waste themselves so that they could concentrate on rearing pigs. The price of food waste remained low, reflecting the farmers’ need for low-cost feeding. This resulted in the closure of commercialised transactions between households and waste collectors amid increased household income. Instead, non-commercialised transactions supported by human ties became the main mode of household participation in food waste recycling . Our findings can guide the use of different elements in this informal recycling system within the framework of a formalised recycling system implemented by the government.

这项研究考察了经济发展对越南岘港市非正式食物垃圾回收的商业化和非商业化阶段的影响。从市中心收集的食物垃圾被用作郊区养猪场的猪饲料。随着时间的流逝，该系统的商业化和非商业化细分市场发生了不同的变化。在我们2011-2016年的观察期内，养猪户开始关注经济效率，这影响了他们利用食物垃圾的方式。到2016年，更多的农民开始使用食物垃圾经纪人来代替自己收集食物垃圾，以便他们可以集中精力养猪。餐厨垃圾的价格仍然很低，反映出农民对低成本喂养的需求。由于家庭收入增加，家庭和废物收集者之间的商业交易被关闭。取而代之的是，以人际关系为支撑的非商业交易成为家庭参与厨余回收的主要方式。我们的发现可以在政府实施的正规回收系统的框架内，指导在此非正式回收系统中使用不同的元素。