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IMG GROUP LAUNCHES RECYCLING PROGRAM IN MEXICO,
CONTRIBUTING TO ENDING PLASTICS WASTE
The IMG Group is aware of PET's important role in various industries that affect our everyday life. Amongst other functionalities, PET has unique and irreplaceable characteristics to protect and package food, directly contributing to reducing food waste and hence delivering a huge positive environmental impact on our environment. TheCOVID-19 pandemic has shone a light on PET's crucial role in hygiene and safety in the food and medical industries, proving this material is irreplaceable. Since the IMG Groups foundation, their main purpose has always been to focus on a circular economy for PET. Their vision focuses on providing innovative and sustainable products, that meet not only human needs but environmental needs as well.
The Portuguese-based group, is steadily advancing on the road to circular economy transition, deploying ambitious programs and investing on the improvement of their products. In order to guarantee their success, the group collaborates and partners with governments, industry associations and local communities, supporting each other in a common commitment of achieving circularity. They believe that through collaboration they will drive change at scale.
The group's aim is to reduce waste and foster PET recycling not onty at their industrial sites, but in all the communities where they operate. They believe in encouraging their local communities to care for the environmentby collecting, separating and recycling all materials possible, focusing on the most widely recycled material - PET. By sensitizing society on the benefits gained from recovering materials that would otherwise end up in landfills, the group motivates society to join them in their common goal.
ECO-BRICK PROJECT - COSTA ALEGRE, MEXICO
The IMG group has a partnership with the Sol Pacífico Foundation, with whom they have associated in several initiatives linked to recycling and education. In this case, they foster eco-brick construction as a sustainable project. Eco-bricks, made using PET bottles filled with non-recyclable materials, become the building blocks of ecological building structures with the following benefits:
Reduction in environmental pollution and emissions as waste is reused
Material for insulation purposes
High durability
Easy to store and transport
Simple and low-cost technique
They embarked on this project in the Costa Alegre area of the Mexican Pacific Coast. Although they target the involvemnent of the whole community, they focus on programs at the local schools, as they believe that the younger generations are the future for a greener planet. Through class-room presentations, the foundation highlights the positive impact that this ecological construction delivers and teaches students how to make their own eco-bricks —something that can then be replicated at home and throughout the community. With this knowledge, a fun and educational activity was created whereby students participated in the construction of benches and other elements for the improvement of their school facilities.
As an additional incentive eco-bricks can be cashed as vouchers to be used in local supermarkets (5 eco bricks = 20USD). The first collection of Eco-Bricks was a huge success, with the following results:
More than 14 communities and 128 families participated
1,725 eco-bricks were recollected
8,000 USD in vouchers for supermarkets were distributed to the families who participated - a huge relief in COVID times
110,350 m2 of waste was recycled
More than 110,350 m2 of constructions will be built
The first collection of eco-bricks will be used for the construction of bus stops. Two projects have already initiated, these will use the majority of the eco-bricks from this first pool, and more projects are on the way. The IMG group is aware that it will take a lot more to solve the plastic waste challenge, but they believe that they can have a positive impact by funding local start-up programs that can become global examples and be replicated elsewhere. They also unveiled that they plan to reproduce this program in other communities where they operate, as well as having part of their sustainability team dedicated to identifying future projects with the highest potential for a global positive impact.
IMG GROUP'S PLEDGE FOR THE PLANET
The IMG Group incorporates post-consumer and post-industrial recycled content in both lines of businesses: Selenis - supply of specialty polyester for diverse applications, and Evertis — PET-based films for food and non-food applications.
Evertis counts on a wealth of expertise and know-how in accelerating innovative techniques to incorporate recycled content into their products, as they were pioneers in film extrusion as well as incorporation of recycled materials. Currently their films target an average incorporation of 50% post-consumer and post-industrial recycled content. In 2020, Selenis launched an innovative line of products, known as the ECO Series, pioneering the incorporation of up to 50% of recycled content in their resins. Additionally, through their investments in R&D they have developed fully recyclable solutions for the shrink sleeve and form-fill-seal packaging markets.
The IMG Group shares society's concerns regarding the impact of waste, and they are committed to improving social well being throughout the world and preserving the health of the planet. The group envisions a future with increased use of recycled content, greater recyclability of their products and lowest feasible carbon footprint where the group plays a leading role in sensitizing their communities to the benefits of recycling PET and advancing aclosed loop economy.
https://spnews.com/2020/09/recycling-program/
March & April 2020 - Global Iniciative
At the IMG Group we reinforce the important role that good occupational safety and health good practices play, as seen during the current sanitary crisis caused by the Covid-19 virus.We strive to support all efforts made to prevent, detect and react in a timely way. Contingency plans are implemented with the safety and health of our employees prioritized. Operational continuity plans are also in place to ensure the safety and stability of our activity, since Evertis products are considered essential goods.
At the IMG Group we have implemented the following measures:
Employees who perform work that is compatible with teleworking are working from home to cut risk of contracting virus
Employees whose responsibilities require them to be on site were provided protective gear, such as face shields and hand sanitizers
Screening point at the entrance of our industrial sites to measure body temperature of anyone entering premises
Training on current strict protocols, including measures related to social distancing and correct hand hygiene
Disinfection of our industrial sites according to sanitation measures provided by authorities
Set up of an isolation room and concrete procedures were defined to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus
