Refillable Bottling Partnerships
GEPP Partnered with Sidel to Expand Refillable Bottling
Colin Smith — March 19, 2026
Grupo GEPP, PepsiCo’s bottler in Mexico, partnered with Sidel to expand returnable PET and glass bottling lines, aiming to increase refillable packaging capacity and reduce virgin plastic use.
The collaboration involved installing and retrofitting production lines to support returnable PET and glass formats, with Sidel providing equipment such as the Hydra bottle washer and EvoFILL glass probe filler to enable rapid conversion of existing Combi PET lines in under a week per line. The program builds on prior joint projects in Puebla, Apodaca, Guadalajara, and Merida and is presented as part of GEPP’s broader sustainability strategy aligned with PepsiCo’s targets to lower virgin plastic consumption.
Operational objectives cited by the partners include meeting growing consumer demand for refillable packaging, improving line flexibility, and achieving production continuity during upgrades. The deployment is described as enabling economies of scale for returnable formats and supporting GEPP’s network of 44 production facilities, with the partnership framed as a technical and logistical approach to integrate refillable systems into existing bottling operations.
