Queretaro Bets on Circular Industry

Combating global warming is a common goal for many industries. Circular economies are an efficient way for companies to diminish their carbon footprint, by reducing the input of virgin materials but also reducing the output of waste thus enabling a greener form of production. This is what the Queretaro automotive industry wants to focus on, in collaboration with the plastic industry to create a more sustainable form of production in the state, informs El Economista. The state’s automotive cluster, the plastics cluster and the Ministry of Sustainable Development (SEDESU) are working on a circular economy proposal to be implemented at a state level among different players of the private sector, Marco Antonio del Prete Tercero, Minister of Sustainable Development, told El Economista.

The project is planned to be fully designed by 2Q21 and aims to define which production residues may be used as inputs for the creation of new materials through optimized supply chains. “Concerning a circular economy, we do have a project. It is a process that we will be developing throughout the year. We will present our data in June or July. Basically, it is a project where the clusters, through their associates, will identify which residues from many different processes, such as logistics, design, shipping and delivery, may be turned into inputs. We want residue to be a part of the process again,” del Prete explained. “We are including private initiative. This is the first transversal project that we do inside the Ministry, which reveals the importance of keeping in mind an economic perspective, while also safekeeping the environment as a form of collaboration and complementation,” he continued. Both the automotive industry and the plastics sector, have around 500 companies in the state of Queretaro (approximately 300 companies from automotive and 200 from the plastics sector), reports El Economista. 

The circular economy is a way for companies to adopt the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in corporate strategies. “SDGs contemplate 17 sustainable goals but No. 12, in particular, promotes responsible production and consumption. This is where the circular economy comes into play, which proves that profitability is not at odds with care for the environment and natural resources,” wrote Victor Manuel Leal, President of the National Association of Paint and Ink Manufacturers, on MBN. Leal explains in detail the benefits of a circular economy for a company, which also apply to the environment. He also warns about three principles that must be taken into account in ecosystems and circular business models to implement them appropriately: “to create valuable inputs for businesses beyond their customers, to add value to existing products and materials and to draw on the sources of the economy, not ecological reserves.” This makes innovation an essential part of circular economies. Leal also highlights the importance of alliances, which is something the state of Queretaro also seeks to boost.