Brazilian City Offers Vegetables In Exchange For Trash

Ten years ago, the city’s Municipal Utilities department launched “Delicious Recycling”, a program aimed at encouraging residents to get into the habit of collecting recyclable waste in exchange for fresh vegetables, grown locally in a public-run garden.  Today, the garden boasts more than 30,000 plants to meet the demand of thousands of veggie-loving recyclers, turning aluminum cans and plastic bottles into edible greens.

Ultimately, the program has done wonders for the health of the environment as well, by ridding the city of improperly disposed waste.  ”What once cluttered and even choked the flow of water from storm drains is today used as currency for healthy food,” said the mayor.