The piles of waste are rapidly growing all over the world and they have become a nightmare that haunts many countries, including Mexico. The volume of solid waste generated by Mexico City is estimated at around 13,000 tons per day. Despite the government’s continuous efforts to foster a culture of recycling among citizens, recycling does not even exceed 1.28 tons.

The Government decided to address this challenge and find drastic solutions to promote awareness of the importance of renewable energy sources and the need to reduce greenhouse gases. Consequently, Mexico’s barter market project, Mercado de Trueque, was launched to help citizens master recycling and separating recyclable waste.

The program provides effective mechanisms to replace certain types of waste, such as plastic, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), tin cans, paper, cardboard, glass containers, and electronic waste, for fresh locally-produced products. The market also incorporates the “green points” mechanism that allows citizens to purchase agricultural products in exchange for their accumulated waste. The market is held every second Sunday of the month and the approved waste weight ranges from a minimum of one kilogram to a maximum of ten kilograms. The price of recyclable waste is higher than the rate set by recycling companies. On another note, the market organizes educational and awareness activities aimed at educating people about the importance of recycling.

Today, nearly seven years after its launch in 2012, the project achieved unparalleled success by attracting 20,000 persons in its first year with the collection os 173,459 tons of waste. The market attracts 4,000 persons per month, replacing 12 tons of waste. The project’s impact does not stop here with other regions, such as Xalapa, seeking to replicate Mexico City’s project by launching several recycling initiatives.