National Polytechnic Institute, or IPN, researchers are working on a project to turn the 780 tons of organic waste produced daily at Mexico City’s Central de Abasto market into gas and electricity, the university said.

The goal is to reduce pollution, save money and generate electricity sustainably using waste from Latin America’s largest market, a complex located on the east side of the Mexican capital.

Organic waste from the market is currently sent to landfills in Mexico state, which surrounds the Federal District and forms part of the Mexico City metropolitan area, and Morelos state.

Disposing of the waste burns fossil fuels, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and global warming, the IPN said.

Organic waste can be used to produce biogas via anaerobic digestion, a process in which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen, the IPN said.

Biogas production, according to IPN estimates, could be used to keep 285,000 tons of organic waste out of landfills annually. EFE