Title: Assessing and analysing the socio-ethical impacts of plate waste: a case of university canteens in Thailand

Authors: Natapol Thongplew; Sukanya Pooyphay; Jiraporn Sriburee

Addresses: Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, Ubon Ratchathani University, 85 Sthollmark Rd. Warinchamrab, Ubon Ratchathani, 34190, Thailand ' Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, Ubon Ratchathani University, 85 Sthollmark Rd. Warinchamrab, Ubon Ratchathani, 34190, Thailand ' Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, Ubon Ratchathani University, 85 Sthollmark Rd. Warinchamrab, Ubon Ratchathani, 34190, Thailand

Abstract: Emerging consumers have driven the transformation of lifestyles and consumption patterns in Thailand to resemble industrialised countries. In Thailand, food waste generated from the consumption of consumers (plate waste) has become problematic and the number of research is still limited. This research conceptualises Thai consumers' roles to address plate waste and quantifies plate waste at university canteens for assessing and analysing socio-ethical impacts. Waste hierarchy and citizen-consumer concepts are used to analyse consumers' roles and to guide the analysis on socio-ethical impacts of plate waste. The canteens at Ubon Ratchathani University (UBU) became the investigation site. It is revealed that bringing in the citizen-consumer concept broadens what Thai consumers can do to address food waste, offering potentials to promote sustainable food provision systems and consumption practices. For the socio-ethical aspect, it is found that a week of plate waste from about 3,800 consumers could feed 116 Thai adults for one day.

Keywords: food waste; plate waste; canteen; waste hierarchy; socio-ethical impact; citizen-consumer; sustainable consumption; green university; emerging economies; Thailand.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSSOC.2020.112445

International Journal of Sustainable Society, 2020 Vol.12 No.4, pp.309 - 325

Received: 18 Jul 2019
Accepted: 27 Jul 2020
Published online: 15 Jan 2021 *

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