Circular Economy: reusing and transforming resources and materials

Guadalajara, 15 November 2022. In the framework of the Encuentro Por México, held in the state of Jalisco, the Panel: The Circular Economy was held, with the aim of addressing from different fronts the challenges involved in the change to more sustainable models, aimed at reducing the carbon footprint, achieving greater efficiency in the use of resources and creating jobs in the region under the premise of contributing to the circular economy.

The Panel was moderated by Irene Haddad, team leader of AL-INVEST Green Component 1 and integrated by Gisselle Della Mea, founder of "3vectores"; Javier Arribas Quintana, advisor for Environment and Climate Change of the Delegation of the European Union in Mexico and Carlos Villaseñor Franco, president of Coparmex Jalisco and general director of SITE Plastics.

There are many discussions around the circular processes that are executed from the companies and many fronts to attend to in this path of operational transformation, the panel was a look at specific cases of economic units that develop their processes taking into account these premises, which are marking routes of how to make it possible.

In her participation, Gisselle Della Mea, made a diagnosis of actions that can be implemented from the economic units, exemplifying with a "butterfly" model of circular economy, which consists of the redesign of technical processes for the management of non-renewable materials and their extraction. "It is a redesign of the business model and a profound social change," he said.

To achieve this, coordination between business organisations and governments is necessary. It is vital that public institutions work to encourage good practices, such as: administrative simplification and training for compliance with environmental standards, tax reductions for companies that implement circular processes, infrastructure and technology to facilitate the activation of operational mechanisms within the reach of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.

"The green pact is action," said Javier Arribas Quintana. He also told of the actions that are being implemented from Europe, pointing out that the way of working was through awareness raising, fast action, "living well within planetary limits".

SMEs are a fundamental component of the business fabric in Latin America, generating 75% of formal employment, which is why the European Union is committed to accompanying them in this green transition and supporting their growth.

Finally, Carlos Villaseñor participated with a case study of good practices from SITE Plastics, highlighting a business model based on the transformation and reuse of materials such as PET: "What we see as rubbish, as waste of a product that for some has finished its useful life cycle, for others, is a beginning. The waste itself is not the problem, the problem lies in not seeking to reuse or transform the materials. Environmental ethics is business", concluded Villaseñor Franco.

This panel was co-organised by Coparmex Jalisco in the framework of the activities of the AL-INVEST Verde programme.

About AL-INVEST Green

AL-INVEST Verde is a European Union (EU) programme whose main objective is to promote sustainable growth and job creation in Latin America by supporting the transition towards a low-carbon, resource-efficient and more circular economy. Through Component 1, led by sequa, the programme manages funds for the implementation of innovative small business partnership projects to promote sustainable practices in the private sector.

Further information: www.alinvest-verde.eu

Panel: La Economía Circular. Guadalajara, México