Mexico City's Solid Waste Law (Ley de Residuos Sólidos) has prohibited shops from selling, distributing or handing out single-use plastic bags since 1 January 2020. A second phase from 2021 extended the ban to other single-use plastic items, including cutlery, plates, straws, cups, lids and balloons.
What is still allowed
The regulation published by the city's environment ministry (Sedema) in 2020 sets out the alternatives:
- Reusable bags made of cloth, non-woven or woven polypropylene, jute, raffia or mesh, provided they are durable and designed to be used many times.
- Reusable plastic bags, if they contain at least 50% post-consumer recycled material and are 100% recyclable.
- Plastic bags only where hygiene or food safety requires them, for example for fresh meat, cold cuts and dairy products.
When the ban began, fines for businesses were reported at between 42,245 and 168,980 pesos.
Beyond the capital
There is no single national law. Many Mexican states have passed their own rules on single-use plastics, but the scope, dates and fines differ from state to state. Check the local law for every state where your bags will be handed out.
What this means for your order
- For retail carrier bags and giveaways, choose a reusable construction, such as non-woven or woven polypropylene, Oxford fabric or cotton, and make sure it is sturdy enough to be used again and again.
- If you prefer a plastic-film bag, ask for evidence of its post-consumer recycled content and recyclability.
- Do not rely on a "reusable" print alone. The construction has to match the claim.
The sources below describe the rules as published in 2020. Check the current law and its regulation in the Gaceta Oficial de la Ciudad de México before you finalise a specification.
