GEPP, Sidel Partner to Expand Sustainable Bottle Production Lines

Grupo GEPP, PepsiCo’s bottler in Mexico, joins forces with packaging equipment specialist Sidel to expand refillable PET and glass bottle production capabilities, allowing the company to transition existing production lines to support refillable formats. This modernization builds on years of collaboration between Sidel and GEPP, which include the construction of refillable PET and glass line facilities in Puebla in 2018, Apodaca in 2019, Guadalajara in 2020, and Merida in 2021. 

A key element of the Sidel deployment is the ability to retrofit existing Combi PET lines rapidly — less than a week per line — without disrupting production. Sidel’s engineering supports lightweight bottle designs, efficient blow-moulding, and compatibility with rPET feedstock. The equipment is designed to minimize energy and water usage and facilitate operational flexibility.

Ascención Sánchez, Account Manager, Sidel, says that the partnership with GEPP demonstrates how “long-term partnerships grounded in reliability, service excellence, and technical knowledge sharing can enhance operational efficiency, support sustainable business practices, and help customers successfully navigate the evolving demands of the beverage industry.”

GEPP, which operates more than 40 manufacturing plants and over 260 distribution centers across Mexico, has integrated sustainability into its operational model since 2017. In the years since, it has saved over 7.7 million m³ of water, reduced average bottle weight by more than 4.6%, and by 2023, was recycling more than 26% of all bottle resin.

The GEPP-Sidel agreement also supports PepsiCo’s broader “pep+ (PepsiCo Positive)” strategy, which includes expanding refillable glass and PET bottle offerings in key markets such as Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, and Chile. Working with bottlers to integrate reusable formats into mainstream packaging, PepsiCo aims to achieve double reusable packaging in 20% of beverage servings by 2030.