Umán, Yucatán, July 25, 2022.- Bepensa announces the investment of 90 million pesos in PetStar's collection infrastructure with the goal of increasing its PET waste collection and recycling capacity in the Yucatán Peninsula.
This investment consists of 45 million pesos in the storage plant in Yucatán, plus 45 million pesos to be implemented in a subsequent phase for the states of Yucatán, Quintana Roo, and Campeche.
With this step, Bepensa and PetStar, as part of the Coca-Cola Mexican Industry, continue to position themselves as global leaders in the collection and recycling of food-grade PET in a circular economy model that provides climate and social value to the communities where they operate.
The investment will allow PetStar to collect 11,000 tons of PET annually at its collection plant located in Umán, Yucatán, and will promote the creation of new collection points for recyclable materials, serving more than 300 MSMEs dedicated to the collection of PET and other recyclables, generating more than 180 direct jobs and another 1,000 indirect jobs for waste recyclers and scavengers on the peninsula.
The announcement and launch of operations took place at the Umán Collection Plant and was led by the Governor of the State of Yucatán, Mauricio Vila Dosal; Alonso Gasque Toraya, General Director of Bepensa Bebidas; Sergio Londoño Zurek, Vice President of Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability at Coca-Cola Mexico; Carlos Mendieta Zerón, Director of Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability at PetStar; Gaspar Ventura Cisneros Polanco, Mayor of Umán; Sayda Melina Rodríguez Gómez, Secretary of Sustainable Development of the Government of the State of Yucatán; and Agustín Menéndez Reyes, Corporate Affairs Manager at Bepensa.
In his speech, Carlos Mendieta Zerón, Director of Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability at PetStar, highlighted that this investment is another example of Bepensa's commitment and confidence in PetStar's operations in Yucatán, which has been present for 18 years in the municipality of Umán, helping to conserve the environment by removing recyclable waste, enabling the circularity of packaging and generating inclusive collection in the area.
For his part, Agustín Menéndez Reyes, Corporate Affairs Manager at Bepensa, stated that Bepensa's commitment to the sustainability and well-being of the communities where it operates is firm and a fundamental part of the company's daily operations. It also fully supports the priority environmental conservation actions implemented by the Government of Yucatán. "In addition to this significant investment, further evidence of our genuine commitment to sustainability are the actions we carry out through the Bepensa Foundation with our ongoing PET collection program, ReQPET, which for 12 years, using an educational model, has removed more than 1,240 tons of plastic waste from the environment through 1,100 collection points across the Yucatán Peninsula," he stated.
During his speech, the Governor of Yucatán, Mauricio Vila Dosal, mentioned: “PetStar has been present in Yucatán since 2004, and today, thanks to Bepensa, part of the Mexican Coca-Cola Industry, they have decided to take the next step in their expansion not only in the state but throughout the peninsula… Without a doubt, this investment is strategic for Yucatán, positioning us as a strategic collection hub in southeastern Mexico, in addition to benefiting more than 300 micro, small and medium-sized businesses.”
Later, the president, along with members of the presidium, unveiled the plaque and toured the storage facility.
PetStar, a Mexican company with 26 years of experience, operates the largest food-grade PET recycling plant in the world. In 2021 alone, its collection facility in Umán collected 5,464 tons of PET containers from 23 municipalities in Yucatán, including Mérida, Progreso, Ticul, Izamal, Umán, Kanasín, and Valladolid. With this initiative, Bepensa and PetStar, as part of the Coca-Cola Mexican Industry, are doubling their collection capacity to get even closer to their global goal of A World Without Waste, which aims to recover 100% of the bottles they put on the market, regardless of their origin, and to incorporate at least 50% recycled resin into all their packaging.
They currently offer packaging, such as the blue Cristal Purified Water or Sprite bottles, made from 100% recycled and recyclable resin from PetStar.
Thanks to Bepensa's investment, by the end of 2022, this plant will also be processing material from the states of Quintana Roo and Campeche, becoming the most important collection and recycling company in the Yucatán Peninsula, thanks to its sustainable circular economy model.
Bepensa and PetStar, as part of the Coca-Cola Mexican Industry, invite everyone to join the movement that benefits the planet, allowing for continued collaboration among businesses, government, and society—from the separation and proper disposal of post-consumer packaging to the transformation and recycling of recoverable materials—to achieve a World Without Waste and maintain Mexico's position as the continent's leader in PET collection and recycling.
