Monterrey (Mexico)/Spittal an der Drau (Austria) March 2023. In Mexico, waste, including industrial waste, is still frequently disposed of in landfill sites. Regenera, a Cemex subsidiary, focuses on developing circular economy solutions for the waste industry. The recycling pioneer Lindner and its local sales & service partner, GTA Ambiental, actively support this project with their on-site recycling machinery and service.
Mexico, with its capital Mexico City, is the fifth largest country in the Americas. With a population of around 129 million people, it ranks tenth worldwide and is the most densely populated Spanish-speaking country. Not least because of its large population, Mexico produces 100,000 tonnes of waste every day. Most of it is still landfilled – with dramatic consequences for the environment. To prevent that from happening, Regenera has committed itself to collecting and recovering waste and has established more than ten waste collection centres throughout Mexico. The focus, however, is not only on collecting but also on expertly recovering waste. While some types of waste can be successfully recycled, non-recyclables are used to produce high-quality refuse-derived fuel (RDF). At its flagship plant, the Monterrey waste recovery facility, Regenera relies on the experience of recycling pioneer Lindner and its sales & service partner GTA Ambiental to help to produce refuse-derived fuel.
‘We chose Lindner because these shredders can be used and installed flexibly without any major changes to our facilities. We were also looking for robust machines capable of processing the different types of waste we receive, and, at the same time, an after-sales service team that ensures continuous plant operation. That’s what Lindner and its sales and service partner GTA Ambiental provide on-site reliably and at the highest possible standard,’ explains José Guillermo Díaz Arroyo, Director at Regenera.
A service carried out by GTA Ambiental, Lindner's sales and service partner in Mexico, on a Lindner shredder at the Cemex main plant in Monterrey.
From 2011 to December 2022, Regenera recovered more than 4.9 million metric tons of municipal solid, industrial and commercial waste, thereby notably reducing landfilling. The resulting refuse-derived fuel is produced specifically for energy recovery in cement plants and must therefore meet high-quality standards. These vital criteria include density, energy and moisture content, and particle size in particular, a challenge that can be reliably met with Lindner’s technology and GTA Ambiental.
By producing high-calorific refuse-derived fuels, Regenera, also actively contributes to reducing the carbon footprint. By 2050, Cemex aims to neutralise these emissions, which is also the focus of the Future in Action initiative, a sustainability programme founded by Cemex. The objective is to play a pioneering role in climate protection within this industry.
About Regenera
Regenera, a Cemex business, offers circular economy solutions, including waste acceptance, management, and recycling. Regenera leverages Cemex’s global footprint and the power of its production processes to use non-recyclable waste and industrial by-products as more sustainable substitutes for fossil fuels and natural raw materials. Regenera aims to serve a diversified customer base including industrial, manufacturing and waste collection companies, non-governmental organisations and public institutions. Regenera provides sustainable solutions for three main waste streams: municipal and industrial waste, construction, demolition and excavation waste and industrial by-products. It is present in all Cemex regions: Mexico, USA, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia, as well as South and Central America and the Caribbean.
In Mexico alone, Regenera has established more than ten waste collection centres. It recently launched the Post-Consumer Waste Neutrality Certificate, which allows companies in the consumer, agricultural and industrial sectors, among others, to demonstrate that their waste is being returned to the circular economy
