In the heart of Mexico is located PetStarthe plant in PET recycling the world's largest food-grade bottle processing plant, responsible for transforming more than 3.6 billion bottles a year into recycled resin certified Cradle to Cradle.
This achievement marks a significant milestone in the recycling industry and promotes a global circular economy innovative and sustainable, highlights a report by WIRED.
The Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), known for its applications in soft drink, water and oil containers and bottles, is 100% recyclable and is recovered at 66% in Mexicoa rate that exceeds even that of the European Union. PetStara profitable and pioneering company in its field, recycles 115 thousand tons of PET annually, part of the more than 700 thousand tons consumed in the country.
Founded in 1995 as Avangard Mexico, PetStar has established itself as the largest recycling plant in the world. Latin America. In 2011, bottlers of the Mexican Coca-Cola Industryled by Arca Continentalacquired the company to close the life cycle of the bottles they put on the market.
Cradle to Cradle certification and environmental achievements
In 2018, PetStar obtained the certification Cradle to Cradlerecognizing its recycled resin as the only and first in the world to meet the highest quality standards in safety, social inclusion, circular economy, water and energy. This recognition highlights the commitment of PetStar with sustainability and innovation.
The company managed to neutralize its carbon footprint by 2020, avoiding the release of 108,000 tons of carbon dioxide. CO2 to the environment. In 2023, it announced an investment of more than 3 billion pesos to increase collection and recycling capacity in Mexico by 2027, with the goal of recovering, by 2030, 10 out of every 10 bottles that its shareholders put on the market.
"In Mexico, we have more than 8 bottling partners. We generate more than 96 thousand direct jobs and more than 700 thousand indirect jobs, contributing 1.3% of the country's GDP," explained Daniela Puerta, Communications Director for Coca-Cola Mexico.
He emphasized that through strategic alliances and educational programs, they seek to involve the community in recycling practicesensuring the transformation of each bottle into a new one.
State-of-the-art recycling technology
The recycling process of PetStar is characterized by its advanced technology. The bottles go through pre-washing, automatic segregation, metal removal and grinding to produce flake. The flake is then subjected to friction washing, rinsing, drying and fine-tuning before passing through a metal detector and storage in silos.
The second stage of the process uses Buhler technology, where the flake is transformed into amorphous pellets and then into crystalline food-grade material. This process ensures the highest quality in the production of recycled food grade packaging.
Ximena MartinezCommunication Manager of PetStarindicated that the system Coca-ColaThe company, to which it belongs, has set an ambitious goal: that by 2025 its packaging will be 100% recyclable, and that by 2030 it will include at least 50% of recycled material.
"We are currently working to continually improve the design of our packaging, prioritizing those that facilitate recycling, such as our transparent Sprite bottles," he said.
Mexico as a world power in recycling
Thanks to the efforts of PetStar and other initiatives, Mexico has established itself as a world power in PET recyclingThe country stands out in Latin America and globally. With 26 large recycling plants and an installed capacity of 753 thousand tons per year, the country recycles 70% of the containers sent to the market.
In 2023, Mexico recovered 540 thousand tons of PET, reaching a rate of 63%. The goal is to reach 70% by 2025 and 80% by 2030. Of what is recovered, 86% is used to manufacture new products in the country, and only 14% is exported to countries such as the United States and China.
According to the book A Poison Like No Other: How Microplastics Corrupted Our Planet and Our BodiesThe plastic pollution is so great that, if it were all collected and turned into packaging roll, there would be more than enough to cover the planet.
Every year, more than 8 billion kilos of plastic enter the oceans, the equivalent of a full garbage truck every minute. This data reflects the importance of the Mexican company's recycling actions. PetStar for a more sustainable future.
Source: WIRED
