After years of empty plazas, night markets are back — and many now run as experiments in low-waste commerce. Shared compost hubs sit beside spice stalls. Deposit bowls replace stacks of single-use containers.
Vendors who once tossed unsold noodles at midnight now list surplus portions on neighborhood apps before closing. Customers pick them up at steep discounts, and kitchens wake up with emptier bins.
Organizers admit the first months were messy. Deposit systems need float cash. Compost pickup needs reliable trucks. Training for temporary staff takes longer than hanging string lights.
Still, attendance is climbing, and city inspectors who once focused only on fire lanes now ask for waste logs. What began as a nostalgia project is becoming a test bed for circular food policy.
The smell of grilled corn remains the main draw. The quieter story is what does not end up in the dumpster.