The rapid growth of the Mexican plastics and packaging industries has led Raul L¢pez to aim for a prominent spot as a major recycler. Last year, L¢pez started Recyclados De Mexico SA de CV to recycle high density polyethylene, PET, glass and aluminum packaging in the Mexico City area.
``We will be starting up our lines for HDPE in September,'' L¢pez said in a telephone interview. ``We will be starting with about [6.6 million pounds] per year although our equipment can handle about [26 million pounds].''
By January, L¢pez said he hopes to add PET packaging to the company's grinding and cleaning activities, and is negotiating contracts with municipalities and haulers for the material.
``We have been collecting material for about one year,'' he said. ``We have about [441,000 pounds] ready to be processed already.''
The company has won permission to put material collection bins in parking lots and near many companies and shopping malls in the Mexico City area, where shoppers can drop off scrap containers.
The company is accepting glass, paper and aluminum as well as plastic in concert with Vitro SA de CV, Mexico's largest glass and packaging company, Smurfit Carton y Papel de M‚xico SA de CV, and other firms.
The companies will buy the recycled materials back from Recyclados for use in more products.
``We have a contract with Aurrera, the largest supermarket chain in Mexico City so that we can place our collection sites near their stores,'' he said.
``We will also be taking the low density polyethylene products, too.''
Ultimately, L¢pez said, he wants to set up an American-style material recycling facility in Mexico City to collect and process scrap materials from throughout the region.
``There is very great need for recycling in Mexico,'' he said. ``We are working with the company now, and we hope that we can get the public involved in a bigger way.''