Tulum Sostenible (Sustainable Tulum) Installs Temporary Collection Centers for the Use of Recyclable Waste

• With the support of a group of companies, Tulum Sostenible installed 2 Puntos Limpios manufactured with Tetra Pak’s recycled containers.
• Puntos Limpios is a waste separation program in which the residents of 12 Tulum neighborhoods participate.
• The installed Puntos Limpios will benefit more than 15 thousand residents of the Municipal Head.

Mexico City, December 24, 2020.- The Tulum Sostenible Cooperative Society, located in the state of Quintana Roo, under its comprehensive solid waste management program will install two multi-material collection centers called Puntos Limpios, as the first stage of a project to promote the culture of recycling and care of the environment in the area, in addition to promoting the efficient management of different recyclable waste, including Tetra Pak containers. This was possible thanks to the support of Tetra Pak, FEMSA Foundation, Coca-Cola Mexico Foundation, and the Olas para los oceanos program led by GIZ and SMEC, a company in charge of the final destination of the collected materials.

For more than 10 years, the members of Tulum Sostenible have carried out various actions to improve the management of solid waste, promoting the use of recyclable materials. In support of this initiative, the Swedish company Tetra Pak, dedicated to the packaging and processing of food and beverages, delivered two Puntos Limpios made with polyaluminum obtained from Tetra Pak’s recycled containers.

Karla Acevedo, Founder of The Tulum Sostenible Cooperative Society, recognizes the importance of training local citizens for the correct separation of waste and promoting the culture of recycling. “Each neighborhood in which a Punto Limpio is installed is trained with an awareness, education and training campaign, instructed in the separation and management of solid waste in their homes. One of the goals of this is to raise awareness on this issue and change people’s habits, and we are on the right track”, she said.

With the installed Puntos Limpios, more than 15 thousand citizens of Tulum will benefit, by recovering approximately 279 tons of recyclable materials per year. The waste that may be disposed of at the collection stations are: aluminum, metal, HDPE, PET, bags, paper, cardboard and Tetra Pak containers.

Thanks to GIZ’ support, each Punto Limpio installed will have a WiFi connection connected to a digital platform that will allow the user to make a brief registration before starting with the deposit of their waste in the collection module, and will have access to the program’s information, such as: goals, operation rules and storage logistics.

The first two Puntos Limpios will be located at:

1. Colonia Guerra de Castas

2. Colonia Villas Tulum – Sendero Verde

In the future, the alliance between Tulum Sostenible, Tetra Pak, FEMSA Foundation, Coca-Cola Foundation, SMEC and GIZ plans to install ten more Puntos Limpios in different neighborhoods of Tulum to continue strengthening the work of those who recover recyclable materials in the area, improve the infrastructure for the reception of waste and consolidate a material recovery program in the region with the possibility of replicating the model in other parts of the Mexican Republic.

“Recycling is one of our priorities, as it is an essential part of our low-carbon circular economy model. For this reason, we are very happy to work together with different alliances and key projects throughout the country in favor of recycling and the environment”, said Alfredo Román, Sustainability Manager for Tetra Pak México.

With the recycling of Tetra Pak containers, in addition to building waste collection containers, various products for daily use can be manufactured, such as urban furniture, drain covers, tables and benches or construction material such as floors, roofing sheets, walls, as well as paper and cardboard products.

“Solving the challenges we face as a society in the 21st century, including effective waste management, requires the collaboration of all sectors. Puntos Limpios is a great opportunity to join forces and contribute to the reduction in the creation of waste, in addition to the recovery of materials that can be recycled, preventing them from being dispersed in the environment. A key aspect of all this will be the education component, with which we empower the community to take ownership of the project to promote its sustainability”, said Carlos Hurtado, Manager of Sustainable Development at FEMSA Foundation, an organization that contributes to the creation of social and environmental value in FEMSA and its Business Units.

We can all contribute to recycling by separating our waste into recyclable and non-recyclable, you can take your clean and dry recyclable materials to the modules installed in your neighborhood following the steps for their better management and contributing to the proper functioning of Puntos Limpios.