As part of our commitment to promoting community development, Bepensa, as part of the Coca-Cola Mexican Industry, launched "We Are Many," an initiative that seeks to drive action to achieve major changes in water conservation and preservation, strengthening a recycling culture to achieve a World Without Waste, and promoting female empowerment and community development. These pillars give life to the #LoveMultiplies movement.
“Given the challenges our communities face in water, waste management, and empowerment, we know there is no single solution.”, commented Sergio Londoño, Vice President of Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability at Coca-Cola Mexico. “At Coca-Cola Mexico, we are committed to acting together. This has led us to create and maintain alliances with key partners, with whom we have developed projects that significantly impact the country's communities. We know that change and difference are achieved together through coordinated and consistent actions.”
Through "We Are Many," Bepensa, as part of the Mexican Coca-Cola Industry, seeks to reinforce its commitment to "Love Multiplies" and raise awareness about the social challenges Mexico faces, as well as the joint actions, projects, and initiatives that guide the country toward sustainability and a better shared future.
As part of our contributions, aligned with the company's global vision, Bepensa, as part of the Coca-Cola Mexican Industry, has set ambitious goals. By 2030, it is committed to collecting and recycling the equivalent of 100% of the packaging it markets through its products. This year, it plans to continue its efforts to make its operations more efficient, with the goal of returning to nature the equivalent of 100% of the water it uses in its production processes.
We have set ourselves the goal of promoting well-being and supporting the development of the communities in which we operate through the Bepensa Foundation. We will also continue to promote socioeconomic opportunities through support programs for young people, women, and small businesses through the Coca-Cola Foundation.
These goals are realized through projects such as the investment of more than 170 million pesos for the construction of four nature-based wetlands that will treat water for communities in Mexico. The first was inaugurated in Cihuatlán, Jalisco, with the capacity to treat 3 million liters per day and a direct impact on the lives of 18,000 people. The cornerstone was also laid for the Mexicali Wetland in Baja California. In this way, and within the framework of World Wetlands Day, the Mexican Coca-Cola Industry reaffirms its commitment to promoting the regenerative use of water.
In terms of recycling, in 2022, Bepensa invested 90 million pesos in the infrastructure of PetStar, the world's largest food-grade PET recycling plant, to double its collection capacity on the Yucatán Peninsula and continue generating and promoting a sustainable, socially valuable circular economy. In this way, Bepensa continues working to ensure that packaging does not become waste and has a longer useful life, as PET is not disposable because it is 100% recycled.
In addition to the above, on the Yucatán Peninsula, Bepensa, as part of the Mexican Coca-Cola Industry, has been promoting ReQPET, its ongoing PET collection program, for over 12 years. This program fosters a recycling culture and habits, as well as the proper disposal of waste in society, through infrastructure deployment, PET collection services, and educational talks.
“Our purpose is to refresh the world and make a difference in the communities where we operate. Therefore, the Mexican Coca-Cola Industry and our allied partners throughout the region and in Mexico are making multiple efforts to address the main challenges we face. There are many of us who want to make a change and seek a better future.”.
Given this, "We Are Many" was born because we realized that, on this path to making a difference, we are not alone. We are convinced that together we can make today taste better than yesterday," said Ángela Zuluaga, Vice President of Public Affairs, Communications, and Sustainability for Coca-Cola Latin America.
At Bepensa, we continue to promote well-being and environmental protection in the communities where we operate, aligned with these objectives and working with you, because together #WeAreMany
