Recycling in Mexico Spurs a More Sustainable Economy [1]
The influx of recyclable bags and new recycling policies in Mexico is benefiting the economy, the job sector, and the environment. The Managing Director of Falcon Plastics de México SA de CV, Juan Antonio Hernández, stated, “Right now many people are collecting plastic bags and selling them and the price is going up.” He went on to say, “Material is expensive but there’s more of it.”
Over the past few years, Mexico has developed a number of different environmental policies to increase sustainability. For example, two years ago Mexico City tried to move towards biodegradable products over recyclable products. They also attempted to ban plastic bags temporarily.
However, today government officials have directed their attention towards recycling in Mexico [2] and away from biodegradable practices. Today, recycling in Mexico [2] has become commonplace. In May in Mexico City, they even passed a law making the separation of non-organic and organic waste illegal. Hernández, in an interview at Plastimagen Plásticas de México AC (Inboplast), a leading producer of plastic bags, stated, “Mexico City is always the leader and whatever happens in Mexico City is copied.”
His hope is that the rest of Mexico will follow the capital’s lead in creating a sustainable society through the practices of recycling, waste management and overall green living. The simple act of recycling has already secured jobs within the recycling business and has helped develop a more sustainable economy [3] for Mexico.