Mexico's recyclable bottles

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET ) plastic containers hold most of Mexico’s soft drinks, bottled water, and cleaning products, and are as ubiquitous here as taco stands. They can be identified by the triangular symbol containing the number 1 on the bottom of the containers. Mexico occupies second place worldwide (behind the US) in PET consumption, using 750,000 metric tons yearly, according to Jorge Treviño, president of Ecología y Compromiso Empresarial (ECOCE), a nonprofit industry association. So what happens to all these bottles?

PET is 100% recyclable: its fibers can be used for carpets and clothing; fiberfill for jackets, sleeping bags, and stuffed animals; industrial strapping, sheet, and film; and even new PET containers. Its light weight and durability mean lower transportation and energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

About 17% of all Mexican PET is collected for recycling (compared with 24% in the US), mostly by ECOCE, founded in 2002 by industry heavy-hitters like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Electropura, Gatorade, Nestlé, Sabritas, Jumex, and Herdez. Member companies finance the purchase of PET from government garbage transfer and separation plants, independent collection centers, and schools. The material then passes through one of twenty plants ECOCE operates, where it is separated, decontaminated, and converted into dirty flakes or bales, which are then sold to recyclers in Mexico and abroad—nearly 85 percent goes to China. In 2005, a recycling plant converting used PET bottles to food-grade bottles opened in Toluca. Treviño notes that ECOCE collects 23% of the 450,000 tons of PET its members put onto the market, compared to just 6% five years ago.

ECOCE has also fixed a minimum price of $1 peso per kilogram for PET . In the past, when the price fell too low, wastepickers were reluctant to separate it, but by guaranteeing a price ECOCE ensures that it will always have material to buy.

More PET could be recycled if the DF’s garbage separation laws were enforced; if there were more separation plants; if garbage trucks had dedicated pick-ups for recyclable materials; and if consumers were better educated about recycling and garbage disposal. Both ECOCE and the non-profit Asociación para Promover el Reciclado del PET (APREPET) lobby the government and carry out advertising and educational programs. APREPET also provides consulting services to the recycling business.

PET is non-biodegradable and remains inert in landfills. It represents only 1.5% of the country’s garbage by weight, but approximately 7-10% by volume. You can help: before throwing a PET bottle in the garbage, remove the cap, flatten it with your foot, and place the cap back on. At home, put your crushed PET bottles in a separate garbage bag.

For more information, check:
APREPET: aprepet.org.mx; ECOCE: ecoce.org.mx; Instituto Nacional de Recicladores (INARE): inare.org.