A pilot program for the introduction of reusable and refillable containers in supermarkets in Mexico City is about to be consolidated, with the aim that these options become truly massive. This is thanks to the alliance between the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the World Economic Forum and the Chilean company Algramo, who joined efforts to mitigate plastic pollution in the Mexican capital.
The alliance of these three organizations is promoted by the Partnership for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G), which supports the incubation of innovative social-public-private partnerships to drive sustainable economic growth.
To talk to us in greater detail, Cynthia Méndez, coordinator of sustainable cities at WWF Mexico, tells El Economista that it is a project that seeks to totally transform what we produce and consume.
“The plastic problem has become a real crisis, in recent years these waves of plastic have been documented, which are very evident in the sea, but our other ecosystems are also affected, only in open-air dumps is there a negative effect on the contamination of soil, water and air quality; the impact on human health, on ecosystems and the loss of biodiversity is severe and unfortunately we are not attending to it comprehensively”.
He said that the important thing is to understand that it is a global problem and we should be treating it in the same way, that is why this project seeks through the No Plastics in Nature initiative (no more plastics in nature) to prevent plastic leaks. to natural ecosystems, eliminate them completely by 2030, “this leaves us only 8 years to carry it out, it is very little and complicated, but for this reason transformational projects are sought”.
“What we are promoting is that these services exist to be able to refill the bottles many times.” That is one of the most important things, because it is not about seeing plastic bottles as the enemy, since it is a very durable material and it is precisely this characteristic that we are not exploiting.
The idea is to also take it to a large scale, where the big brands truly transform their way of producing and selling. “They are the ones who have the greatest impact, there are certain markets that already do it, but it is limited to certain markets and to a lesser impact. With this project we seek to attract large companies so that they truly transform their way of selling”.
We must also understand that the success of this project depends a lot on the demand, that as consumers we are willing to take our bottle to refill it, “remember that today we are paying the cost of the bottles that end up in the garbage and with adverse effects”. This project then becomes a way of demanding and collaborating with the private sector, so that they sell us the product we need and not the container. “This is where the big brands and distribution companies, big supermarkets come in.”
Another advantage is that the bottles that are intended to be used are moldable and have a chip that gives information to producers, but also to consumers, to know how many plastic bottles have been saved, that is, the positive impact on the environment. and out-of-pocket spending, incentives can even be generated after so many top-ups. “Today it’s time to show that all this is economically viable and for this this pilot is being started.” The company that will host this pilot project is Walmart.
The Chilean example
Algramo is a Chilean emerging company that developed technology to be able to change the way we consume some products, that is, that our shampoo, cream or soap, have containers that are normally for single use and do not go to the trash.
This project emerged as a social initiative that sought to help people with fewer resources, the creators realized that people who bought in smaller volumes paid more, that is, per gram, hence the name.
The idea was to create dispensing machines for corner stores (neighborhood stores), where products from the basic basket were sold. Then the environmental benefit came to light, which led them to think on another scale.
Today they already have pilots in supermarkets in Chile and they are already working on the regulatory issue so that this type of station is mandatory in shopping centers, they are also seeking to extend the benefits to other latitudes, this already exists in the United States, Indonesia and soon in the United Kingdom. United and Mexico.
Méndez concludes that this is not promoting a brand, but the system and the way of consuming. He even touches on public policies, since in Mexico City they are working together with the government to promote the Circular Economy Law and for refil systems to be included in the regulations as an alternative, including incentives for companies that adopt them.