Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – In an initiative aimed at bolstering environmental stewardship and sustainable waste management, PetStar and Embotelladora del Nayar inaugurated a new PET Collection Center in the Las Juntas district of Puerto Vallarta on Friday, December 13. The center, now operational, is expected to collect and recycle up to 58 million plastic bottles annually, reinforcing the region’s commitment to reducing its environmental footprint.
During the official opening, company representatives highlighted that the center is designed to streamline the recycling process and encourage greater community participation. The facility accepts a variety of plastic bottles collected through multiple points across Puerto Vallarta. Once gathered, the bottles undergo a compaction process at the Las Juntas center, before being transferred to Guadalajara. There, they are carefully separated and classified based on plastic type and color. After sorting, the plastics are shipped to Toluca, where further chemical treatments are conducted to ensure the materials meet food-grade reuse standards, effectively closing the loop in the recycling lifecycle.
Carlos Mendieta, Director of Public Affairs, Communication, and Sustainability at PetStar, emphasized the significance of the new facility, stating that it is the first of its kind in western Mexico. Mendieta noted that the center contributes to PetStar’s role as a global leader in recycling, underscoring the company’s position as a top producer of food-grade recycled plastic bottles worldwide.
Echoing this sentiment, Ricardo Alberto Leyba Sigala, General Manager of the Nayar Bottling Group, praised the expansive effort that supports the zero-waste objective pursued by the companies. “There are a whole series of activities that, as a system, they develop, seeking to achieve that goal of zero waste,” Leyba Sigala said. “Today it is the case of PET, and the entire capacity that PetStar has at a national level is impressive. It is the largest plant in the world in its field.”
The newly launched Collection Center not only addresses environmental concerns but also fosters social benefits. According to project representatives, the initiative is responsible for generating approximately one thousand indirect jobs—ranging from urban waste pickers to independent recyclers—while reinforcing a sustainable supply chain. With an investment of 8 million pesos, the center stands as a key milestone in Puerto Vallarta’s ongoing efforts to advance responsible resource management and environmental protection.
