Holbox, Q.R. — The island of Holbox has its first recycling centre. The government of Mexico inaugurated the facility over the weekend. Alicia Bárcena Ibarra, the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources, headed the opening Saturday.
It is the first national circular economy model for the sustainable use of waste in Holbox and part of the Strategy Towards a Circular Mexico project. The project is joint between the government and the company Bepensa.
On Saturday, officials inaugurated the new Bepensa PetStar Transfer Centre to strengthen recycling and waste valorization, reported the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.
Bárcena Ibarra said the Holbox Circular will be a national benchmark for sustainable tourism, recycling, and environmental co-responsibility.
She said the centre is aimed at accelerating the transition toward responsible production and consumption models through the reduction, reuse, recycling and valorization of waste, with special attention to tourist and coastal regions.
During the event, she stated that Holbox will become the first national benchmark for the circular economy and emphasized that Mexico must move toward a development model that combines economic growth, community well-being, and environmental protection.
“Holbox Circular is the first of its kind in all of Mexico, and we want the entire country to become a Circular Mexico, with economic development, community well-being, and environmental protection,” said Bárcena Ibarra.
She shared that the strategy presented seeks to transform the way the country produces and consumes, noting that the circular economy is not only an environmental policy, but also an economic policy capable of generating well-being, employment, and new opportunities for communities.
“For decades we have followed a linear logic: extract, produce, consume, and discard. We have already reached the planetary boundary and we must transition from an economy that plunders and wastes to an economy that cares and makes the most of resources,” she emphasized.
As part of the activities, the PetStar Transfer Center of Bepensa was inaugurated in Holbox, an infrastructure intended to strengthen the separation, collection and transfer of recyclable materials, as well as improve the comprehensive management of waste on the island.
“We need to move towards territories where waste is no longer seen as garbage but becomes materials that can be reintegrated into new production processes. The circular economy will only be possible if we build alliances between governments, businesses, and communities,” she explained.
Secretary Bárcena shared that Quintana Roo generates around 2,000 tons of municipal solid waste daily, while the entire country produces approximately 140,000 tons every day. She said the country needs to convert waste into inputs, reusable materials and new economic opportunities through circular economy schemes.
He also stated that the Mexican government is working on agreements with various productive sectors to promote the implementation of the General Law of Circular Economy and to encourage sustainable practices in tourism, commerce and services activities.
Meetings were also held Saturday with representatives from the environmental, business and community sectors participated to discuss recycling, use of materials and environmental co-responsibility.
The Government of Mexico reaffirms its commitment to building a sustainable development model based on the circular economy, the protection of ecosystems and the well-being of communities in the Mexican Caribbean.
