On Global Recycling Day, AC Reiterates its Commitment to Sustainable Packaging
Monterrey, Mexico May 17, 2019. - Arca Continental, one of the top Coca-Cola bottlers worldwide, reiterates its commitment to managing waste and packaging in a sustainable manner by implementing a series of global and local initiatives in every market where it operates.
Besides heading PetStar —the largest food grade PET recycling facility in the world— in Mexico, Arca Continental Lindley launched the first bottle in Peru made 100% out of other bottles. It also leads the inclusive recycling program known as DAR, in Ecuador, in addition to promoting a returnable universal bottle in Argentina, and funding community recycling programs in the U.S.
Additionally, in 2018 in collaboration with 250 companies, universities, and civil organizations around the world, the company signed the Global Agreement on the New Plastics Economy run by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the UN, which strives to eradicate the root cause of waste and plastics pollution by implementing a new regulation regarding plastic packaging.
In Mexico it heads PetStar, the largest food grade PET recycling facility in the world.
Arca Continental, as part of the Coca-Cola Mexican Industry and in collaboration with other Mexican bottlers, has developed PetStar, a plant with the capacity to collect more than 3.1 billion PET bottles, which is equal to filling the Azteca soccer stadium 2.4 times. The facility produces annually 51,000 tons of recycled PET resin that is integrated into new bottles employed by the partners themselves.
PetStar is the largest food grade PET recycling facility in the world and operates a unique comprehensive bottle-to-bottle process that constitutes a benchmark for the circular economy worldwide, and it is also one of the Mexican companies that are signatories of the Global Agreement.
As a result of the PetStar operation, Arca Continental currently includes 28% of recycled content on average in its PET bottles and, in some cases, such as the Ciel water and Sprite packaging, 100% of the materials used in the bottles comes from other bottles.
Based on PetStar’s collection and recycling work, Arca Continental and its partners are currently able to recover 70% of the packaging they produce and market.
In Peru, Arca Continental Lindley launches the first bottle that is 100% recycled
As part of their commitment to achieving “A World Without Waste” and to responsibly manage PET packaging, Arca Continental Lindley and Coca-Cola Peru launched the first bottle in this country which is made 100% out of other bottles. The bottle was made for the San Luis water brand.
Design for these packages made out of 100% recycled bottles is part of the path the company is on to promote the circular economy. With this process we add value to plastic bottles so that they can become new bottles instead of waste.
With this measure, Arca Continental Lindley is voluntarily exceeding the goal for including recycled plastic in making new packaging, described in the Agreement for Clean Production signed last year with the Peruvian ministries of the Environment and of Production.
In Ecuador, it leads the inclusive recycling initiative
The Development, Environment, Recycling (DAR in Spanish) program is aimed at promoting a culture of inclusive recycling and boosting PET recovery efforts in Ecuador by generating better economic, social, and organizational conditions for base recyclers through a sustainable, shared value strategy that offers dignified access to recyclable materials, striving to promote this practice in the Ecuadorian society.
The pilot program was implemented in Quito in august 2018 and partnering with “Quito a Reciclar” initiative, benefits to 7,400 families of recyclers in the city, fostering the segregation and collection of recyclable materials with local allies in the public and private sectors.
With these and other actions, Arca Continental Ecuador has been able to recover 79% of the bottles produced and include on average 25% of recycled materials in its packaging.
Arca Continental Argentina promotes an universal returnable bottle
The operation in Argentina is promoting the use of returnable bottles through innovation and partnerships with its customers and suppliers by using an universal returnable PET bottle which can be used for different products, which makes it easier to reuse and recycle it.
With these and other efforts, Arca Continental Argentina’s portfolio now includes 50% returnable products and 20% recycled content in its PET packaging.
And in Texas, we are partnering with the Coca-Cola Foundation to increase recycling...
The Coca-Cola Foundation is providing funding to help tackle the world’s plastic waste problem one community at a time. The Foundation awarded $5.4 million in charitable grants to several communities in the U.S., including Houston, to fund community recycling pilots. In Houston, we are partnering with Keep Houston Beautiful to boost recycling rates and help inspire a grassroots movement.
In 2018, CCSWB promoted the “Weekend Without Waste,” impacting more than 100,000 Texans, collecting more than 1 ton of PET, and close than 70,000 bottles and cans, through activations in San Antonio, Dallas, Houston and Edinburg.
About Arca Continental
Arca Continental produces, distributes, and markets non-alcoholic beverages under The Coca-Cola Company brand, as well as snacks under the Bokados brand in Mexico, Inalecsa in Ecuador, and Wise in the United States. With an outstanding history spanning 93 years, Arca Continental is the second-largest Coca-Cola bottler in Latin America, and one of the largest in the world. Through its Coca-Cola franchise, the company serves more than 123 million people in the Northern and Western regions in Mexico, as well as in Ecuador, Peru, in the Northern region of Argentina, and in the Southwestern United States. Arca Continental is listed on the Mexican Stock Exchange under the ticker “AC”. For more information about Arca Continental, please visit www.arcacontal.com