en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Ministry of Environment of Mexico City (SEDEMA) has launched the "Single-Use Plastic-Free Space" certification program, open to institutions that have eliminated or are in the process of eliminating single-use plastic products, recognizing their efforts to adopt sustainable alternatives in their operations.
The program covers educational institutions, cultural centers, hotels, restaurants, cafes, corporate buildings, offices, and other venues within designated government corridors. Applicants must replace single-use plastic products with compostable alternatives or other sustainable options. After document review, SEDEMA will conduct on-site inspections to verify compliance with the provisions of Mexico City's Solid Waste Law. Certified entities will receive official certificates and plaques, along with benefits such as promotional support, inclusion in the city's directory of plastic-free spaces, access to training opportunities, and connections with sustainable suppliers.
Since 2020, Mexico City has legally banned the commercialization and distribution of plastic bags. In 2021, restrictions expanded to include single-use plastic items such as utensils, plates, straws, balloons, cups, and food trays. According to SEDEMA data, enforcement authorities had issued over 70,000 fines by July 2023. However, enforcement has significantly weakened in recent years: in 2024, 50 violation cases were filed, with only three resulting in sanctions; from January to October 2025, 18 cases were filed, with only two leading to penalties.
Debates over the effectiveness of single-use plastic restrictions have extended to the national level. In a statement, Marcos Orellana, the UN Special Rapporteur on Toxics and Human Rights, noted that the statement was issued in the context of a court ruling obtained by multiple civil society organizations, which recognized the Mexican state's obligation to take effective measures to address the environmental and health impacts associated with single-use plastics. Orellana argued that the mechanisms under Mexico's General Circular Economy Law (LGEC) "do not establish specific bans or measures that can ensure a significant reduction in the production and consumption of these products" and called for strengthening tools such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Susana Hernández, Technical Director of the National Association of the Plastic Industry (ANIPAC), stated: "Restricting these materials has not led to effective regulation, as they are often misused. Society receives poor information because plastics are replaced by products marketed as ecological, which, upon technical review, may not be so." She noted that some alternative products, such as paper, perform well in certain applications but can have a significant environmental footprint when used for carrying products.
In response to stakeholder concerns, SEDEMA convened a working group in September 2025 to review and propose amendments to the technical standard NACDMX-010-AMBT-2019. The working group, composed of representatives from industry, academia, environmental organizations, and government agencies, aims to enhance regulatory certainty, prevent greenwashing, combat informal markets, and align compliance and verification with the capacity of infrastructure.
The global plastic pollution issue is equally urgent. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), approximately 430 million tons of plastic are produced annually worldwide, with nearly two-thirds being short-lived products. Since the 1950s, humanity has produced over 9.2 billion tons of plastic, with about 7 billion tons becoming waste, and only about 9% of the global total being effectively recycled. Each year, 19 to 23 million tons of plastic enter aquatic ecosystems. Over 170 countries are participating in UN-led negotiations for a global plastic pollution treaty, but disagreements persist over whether to focus on waste management or limiting primary plastic production. Research predicts that under current policies, global plastic consumption could triple by 2060, rising from 460 million tons in 2019 to over 1.2 billion tons annually. A study published in 2025 showed that only 9.5% of plastics produced in 2022 came from recycled materials, with the remainder largely relying on fossil fuel-based feedstocks.
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