With the intention of promoting ecological awareness and adding to a culture of improvement in waste management in the state of Campeche, Coca-Cola Foundation and Bepensa In partnership with Marea Azul AC, they opened the first Eco-Recycling Plant on the Atasta Peninsula. This initiative will strengthen the value chain and recycling process in the region.
As a result of this alliance, in 2021, with an investment of nearly USD $107,000 from The Coca-Cola Foundation, the facilities were built and infrastructure acquired for this plastic waste recycling plant. The plant will have the capacity to collect 10 tons of PET per month, which will be delivered to PetStar for recycling in a sustainable, socially valuable circular economy.
This plant will be in continuous operation, managed by the renowned Marea Azul AC association, and has the direct participation of 20 people from the community. This helps mitigate environmental pollution caused by the exposure of some plastics to the lagoon and wetlands of the Atasta Peninsula.
During the opening ceremony, Rosemarie Lazarus Jaber, president of the DIF of Ciudad del Carmen, representing Pablo Gutiérrez Lazarus, mayor, highlighted the importance of this project and its scope and example not only for the area but also for the rest of the state.
Carla Barrientos, Environmental Programs Manager at the Coca-Cola Foundation, emphasized the organization's commitment to society regarding waste management: "Our commitment is geared toward continuing to contribute to the community. The people of Campeche are hardworking and very proud of their natural resources. Once again, we achieved collaboration between government, industry, and society, which is key to multiplying our love for Mexico and transforming it into concrete actions that produce well-being in the community."
For his part, Agustín Menéndez Reyes, Corporate Affairs Manager at Bepensa, detailed his collaboration to enable the project to become a circular initiative. "We maintain a firm commitment to sustainability and emphasize that participating in these types of projects is essential for Bepensa, as they contribute to the care and conservation of the environment for the benefit of all."
Also present was Lourdes Rodríguez Badillo, founder and director of the Marea Azul organization, which has 30 years of experience in environmental protection and is the main actor responsible for the operation and management of the Atasta Eco-recycling plant. She demonstrated the plant's operation to attendees, requesting their support in carrying out actions that further involve the community so that the project is successful and, above all, fulfills its mission of removing plastic waste from the ecosystem.
The Coca-Cola Mexico Foundation and Bepensa, as part of the Mexican Coca-Cola Industry, continue working through these actions to get even closer to their global goal of A World Without Waste. This objective includes recovering 100% of the bottles they put on the market, regardless of their origin, as well as integrating at least 50% recycled resin into all their packaging. They currently have packaging, such as the blue Cristal Purified Water bottle or Sprite, made from 100% recycled and recyclable resin from PetStar, which allows them to take decisive action to mitigate climate change.
