Mexico Plans Recycling Park in Hidalgo to Replace Open Dumps

Mexico’s Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Alicia Bárcena, and Hidalgo Governor Julio Menchaca Salazar outlined plans for a proposed Ecological and Recycling Park in Hidalgo, intended to replace a network of open dumpsites that currently affect air quality, soil and community health. The officials urged residents of Atitalaquia, Tlaxcoapan and Tula de Allende to participate in the Dec. 14 public consultation that will determine whether the project moves forward.

Bárcena described the initiative as “a historic opportunity to settle an environmental debt with the Tula region,” noting that the area has endured decades of industrial pollution. “This state was treated as a sacrifice zone, and that cannot continue,” she said. “Hidalgo deserves clean air, water and soil, as well as health and well-being for all its inhabitants.” The project is linked to Commitment 94 of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration and forms part of a broader strategy that includes restoration of the Tula and Salado rivers, remediation of the Endhó Dam and the conversion of the local thermoelectric plant.

The minister said the project would operate as a Development Hub for the Circular Economy (PODECOBI). The proposed site is designed to host an organized, monitored system in which municipal waste is sorted, recycled and transformed into new materials or energy. Bárcena stressed that the park would not accept waste from outside Hidalgo. “This must be very clear,” she said. “No waste will be brought from any other state.”

Public participation, Bárcena emphasized, is central to the project’s viability. Over recent weeks, federal and state authorities have held 43 informational sessions with academic institutions, community leaders, women’s organizations and Indigenous communities. “It is the population who must tell us yes or no,” she said. “This project is not an imposition.”

Governor Menchaca expressed full support for the initiative, calling it a step toward reversing decades of environmental degradation. “This consultation is an unprecedented exercise in social participation,” he said. “It is time to acknowledge and address the historic burden caused by the refinery, the thermoelectric plant and the waste accumulated for more than fifty years.” He added that the state would not support any action that puts residents at risk.

As part of its outreach efforts, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) held a technical briefing with civil society organizations, led by José Luis Samaniego Leyva, deputy minister for Sustainable Development and Circular Economy. He said the park aims to end waste mismanagement and introduce a clean, transparent system. “Water, air, soil and waste are being addressed simultaneously,” he said. “We want visible and lasting reductions in pollution. This is environmental justice for Hidalgo.” He added that the initiative aligns with Mexico’s new General Law on Circular Economy, which calls for extended producer responsibility, material traceability, the elimination of open dumpsites and the transformation of landfills into circular-economy hubs.

SEMARNAT officials also presented the project to local students and families. At Venustiano Carranza Primary School in Tula de Allende, federal representatives highlighted the long-term benefits of replacing open dumps with structured waste-management systems. The event, held during World Soil Day, included student projects on recycling and water protection under the New Mexican School framework.

Luis Mingo Nyssen, head of SEMARNAT’s Education and Training Center for Sustainable Development, told families the park is intended to generate both environmental and social benefits. He said the initiative seeks to prevent waste accumulation in streets and waterways while creating new public spaces. “The intention is to create a community space where people can play, gather and enjoy recreational areas, and where waste no longer contaminates rivers and neighborhoods,” he said. He pointed to a student poster reading “Our future is in my hands,” noting that the message reflects the broader spirit of the project.