Where can I recycle?
There are several programs and iniciatives to be able to recycle your trash. In this seccion I would like to share with you the places and iniciatives where you can take your trash and get it recycled in Mexico City.
Barter Market in Mexico City
The program that we show in the Short Documentary of the challenge is called “El Mercado del Trueque”, which is a recycling center in Mexico City. The Barter Market is a program of the Secretary of Environmental Education of SEDEMA (Secretary of the Environment of Mexico City) and has been in operation for 7 years. Many asked if there are in other states, but no. Unfortunately, this program is only found in Mexico City (hopefully more states will be encouraged to implement it). The objective of the market is to promote the separation and thus the recycling of our waste.
When is the Barter Market held?
The event takes place on the second Sunday of each month, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where is the Barter Market held?
The barter market is itinerant. The venues vary between the Tlalpan Forest, the Chapultepec Forest, the Monument to the Revolution, the Coyotes Zoo and some other public spaces within Mexico City. Here you can check the venues.
What do I get for my waste?
Among the products that you take with you can be: tortillas, cheese, quelites, tlacoyos, enchiladas, purslane, beans, sopes, sauces, potatoes, lettuces, plants, bread, carrots, etc, etc and they also have plants. The market is characterized by supporting artisan producers from the Milpa Alta, Xochimilco and Tláhuac regions.
What type of waste can I bring?
You can carry 10 kg maximum per person of the following materials.
PET (Plastic 1) and HDPE (Plastic 2)
They recieve PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) which simply refers to bottles of water and soda. They also receive HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) which are shampoo containers (almost all), and some creams (not all), detergent containers among others.
Tip: The key is to check the number that comes inside the triangle of the container
Paper and paperboard
They receive you the white and colored Bond Paper (printed and unprinted), newspaper, magazines, kraft, carbonless paper. Cardboard such as folders without staples, cardboard, cereal boxes, cookie boxes and other packaging. Note: They do not have to be separated but make sure they are clean and completely dry
Glass
They receive all kind of glass waste
Tip: they don’t accept perfume bottles.
Tetrapack packaging
You need to take them dry and well sorted.
Aluminum cans
You need to sort them and separte them.
Used oil
With your used oil you a clean fuel called biodiesel can be made This is the best way to dispose of used oil. Please do not put the used oil in the drain since it contaminates the water and is difficult to remove in the treatment plants.
Just store it in a PET bottle and take it to the barter market.
E- Waste
Cables, Printers, CPUs, plates, minicomponentes, etc, etc. Note: You do not receive monitors or screens of any kind
More options to recycle:
There exist more and more options to recycle your trash. Here are some options in Mexico.
Reciclatrón
You can take your ewaste to recycle in this program. Reciclatrón (cdmx.gob.mx) It is a program that receives your ewaste.
Huerto Roma Verde
They have a recycling center, which is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 9 am to 7 pm. The Orchard Roma is located in the Roma neighborhood, on Calle Jalapa 234 between Campeche and Coahuila, in Mexico City.
What to do with what I cannot recycle?
There are things that we try to recycle but that it is impossible to do. When we are doing this Challenge, it is often difficult to find places to recycle your garbage 100%. In my experience, there is always some garbage (or a lot of garbage) that cannot be recycled. The idea is that the companies that are manufacturing that type of waste stop producing it in the first place.
If it can not be recycled then it should not be produced from the first place
Companies also play a very important role in achieving the goal of Zero Waste. We need better product design for this 21st century. If a company is producing something that cannot be recycled, I invite you to send them emails, or leave messages and posts on their social networks urging them to improve the design of that packaging or product.