The Barranquilla mill in Colombia achieved a major goal in environmental management, reducing landfill waste by 80%. By securing a new vendor to handle waste, as well as alternate providers in the event of a disruption, the mill reduced landfill waste from 425 tons to 86 tons.

When analyzing overall waste management at the mill, the plant generated over 3,000 tons of non-hazardous waste, of which 97% was recovered and not sent to a landfill. This achievement was made possible through close collaboration with our partner, Veolia, and prioritizing the recovery of process rejects generated at the plant. Veolia’s facilities combine the mill’s non-hazardous waste with sludge from the hydrocarbon industry to make RDF (refuse-derived fuel) that is then used in cement kilns.

The mill also conducted trials with the city’s public utility service provider to enable its service to be an alternative recovery pathway in case there is any interruption in our current service. The mill plans to continue to optimize processes for the remaining waste to further advance operational sustainability.