Thriving Mexico City Trash-for-Food Market Helps Capital Clean Up Agence France-Presse
go to original June 29, 2013

With almost 25 million inhabitants, Mexico city generates an incredible amount of rubbish. To address this problem, the government launched a program last year where people can exchange recyclable goods for coupons to use at a nearby farmer's market. Al Jazeera's Rachel Levin reports. (AlJazeeraEnglish)

The Mercado de Trueque is among a slew of green initiatives that have been launched by the capital's left-wing government in recent years to clean up this smoggy metropolis of 20 million people, which was considered the world's most polluted city some 20 years ago.

The monthly market, which was inaugurated last year, aims to raise awareness about the value and use of items that would otherwise end up in landfills, and is growing in popularity in a city that generates more than 12,000 tonnes of trash per day.

The recyclables brought to market by people are weighed by an army of apron-wearing helpers, and then heaped onto waiting trucks to be transported to a local recycling company.

Market-goers are rewarded with green points, a bespoke currency, depending on the quantity of materials they bring in. They then take their points next door to a produce market to spend on food and other products on sale.

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