Mexico City Launches Plastic-Free Business Distinction

Mexico City launched the first call for businesses to obtain the Single-Use Plastic-Free Space distinction, recognizing organizations that have eliminated disposable plastic products from their operations. The initiative comes as the city continues to enforce restrictions on single-use plastics, while industry stakeholders and environmental groups debate the effectiveness of existing regulations and their implementation.

The Government of Mexico City, through the Ministry of the Environment (SEDEMA), has published the first call for applications for the Single-Use Plastic-Free Space distinction, an initiative designed to recognize establishments that have already eliminated, or are in the process of eliminating, single-use plastics from their daily operations and activities.

Eligible participants include educational institutions, cultural centers, hotels, restaurants, cafés, corporate buildings, offices and other establishments located within the corridors defined by the authority that have replaced single-use plastic products with compostable alternatives or other sustainable options.

As part of the selection process, SEDEMA will conduct verification visits to establishments that successfully complete the documentary review phase. The inspections aim to confirm that applicants operate as single-use plastic-free spaces and comply with the provisions established under Mexico City's Solid Waste Law.

Businesses that obtain the distinction will receive an official certificate and plaque issued by SEDEMA, as well as visibility through institutional communication channels, inclusion in the city's directory of plastic-free spaces and access to training opportunities and connections with sustainable suppliers.

The initiative highlights tensions surrounding Mexico City's plastic reduction strategy. While the distinction serves as a voluntary incentive to recognize organizations that have adopted sustainable alternatives, existing legislation already establishes mandatory restrictions on these products. This opens a debate regarding compliance levels and the effectiveness of enforcement mechanisms. 

Since 2020, Mexico City's Solid Waste Law has prohibited the commercialization, distribution and delivery of plastic bags. In 2021, the restrictions were expanded to cover a broad range of single-use plastic products, including cutlery, plates, straws, balloons, cups and food trays, among others. During the first years of implementation, SEDEMA maintained an active inspection and enforcement strategy. According to agency data, more than 70,000 fines were issued between the regulations' entry into force and July 2023.

However, enforcement activity has declined considerably in recent years. Information obtained through transparency requests and published by El Sol de México shows that SEDEMA opened 50 non-compliance cases in 2024, of which only three resulted in sanctions. Between January and October 2025, the agency initiated 18 cases, with only two leading to penalties. 

The debate over the effectiveness of single-use plastic restrictions has also expanded to the national level. Recently, Marcos Orellana, UN Special Rapporteur on Toxics and Human Rights, expressed concern over efforts to argue that mechanisms established under Mexico's General Circular Economy Law (LGEC) are sufficient to comply with judicial rulings related to reducing single-use plastics. According to Orellana, circular economy legislation does not establish specific bans or measures capable of ensuring a meaningful reduction in the production and consumption of these products.

The statement was made in the context of a court ruling secured by several civil society organizations, which recognized the Mexican state's obligation to adopt effective measures addressing the environmental and health impacts associated with single-use plastics. Orellana also noted that instruments such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) need to be strengthened to deliver more tangible waste management outcomes, while environmental organizations have argued that circular economy frameworks should be complemented by policies aimed at the progressive reduction of single-use plastics.

For industry representatives, the results observed so far reflect challenges in both the design and implementation of the regulations. Susana Hernández, Technical Director, National Association of Plastics Industries (ANIPAC), argued that the restrictions have failed to generate sufficient incentives to change consumer behavior and have disproportionately affected formal businesses.

"Restricting these materials did not result in effective regulation because they are often used incorrectly. Society has received poor information because plastics were replaced by products labeled as ecological that, upon technical review, are not necessarily so. Paper, for example, is excellent for certain applications, but when used for carrying products, its environmental footprint can be enormous," she said.

Another source of concern for the plastics industry has been the interpretation of technical standard NACDMX-010-AMBT-2019, which establishes the specifications that plastic bags and other single-use plastic products must meet. In response to concerns raised by different stakeholders, SEDEMA launched a call in September 2025 to create a working group tasked with reviewing and proposing amendments to the standard.

Hernández said these working groups provide an opportunity to incorporate technical criteria into the regulatory discussion and adapt requirements to the city's existing capabilities. "The current law is excessively strict from a technical standpoint, and the city does not have the laboratories or technical capacity necessary to comply with it. Some companies have sought permits and generate employment, yet they still cannot meet the requirements," she said.

The working groups include representatives from industry, academia, environmental organizations and government agencies. Their objectives include improving regulatory certainty, preventing greenwashing practices, combating informal markets and unfair competition, and aligning regulatory requirements with the infrastructure available for compliance and verification.

Global Push to Reduce Single-Use Plastics

The debate surrounding single-use plastics is part of a broader global discussion on waste management, pollution and sustainable production and consumption models. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the world currently produces approximately 430Mt of plastic each year, with nearly two-thirds consisting of short-lived products that quickly become waste.

Since the 1950s, humanity has produced more than 9.2Bt of plastic, of which roughly 7Bt have already become waste. Despite decades of recycling programs, only about 9% of plastic waste is effectively recycled worldwide, while the remainder ends up in landfills, incinerators or the natural environment. Every year, between 19Mt and 23Mt of plastic enter aquatic ecosystems, including rivers, lakes and oceans.

In response, more than 170 countries are participating in United Nations-led negotiations to develop a legally binding global treaty on plastic pollution. However, disagreements remain over whether policy measures should focus primarily on waste management or also address limits on virgin plastic production. 

The debate is becoming increasingly urgent as several studies project that global plastic consumption could triple by 2060 under current policies, rising from 460Mt in 2019 to more than 1.2Bt annually. At the same time, research published in 2025 found that only 9.5% of the plastic produced in 2022 came from recycled materials, while nearly all remaining production relied on fossil-fuel-based feedstocks, underscoring the continued challenge of meeting both climate and circular economy goals.