CSN Cimentos takes part in a project to turn urban solid waste into fuel

CSN Cimentos, from Pedro Leopoldo, in Minas Gerais, took part in a pioneering initiative in solid waste management. Carried out by the government of Minas Gerais, the project Minas Recicla Energia is committed to turning leftovers from selective waste collection, carried out by recycling associations, into fuel for producing cement, thus avoiding disposal in landfills.

Having partnered with the town halls of Pedro Leopoldo, Matozinhos, and Lagoa Santa, the Federal University of Lavras, and the Brazilian Association of Technical Norms (ABNT), the project aims for a great goal: hopes are that over 100 tons of urban solid waste will be retrieved per month and converted into energy to produce cement. Furthermore, the initiative aims to reduce carbon emissions compared to traditional sources of fuel and non-renewable sources.

For Edvaldo Rabelo, director of CSN Cimentos, the partnership with Minas Recicla Energia reinforces the company’s commitment to sustainability and measures that have a positive impact on the environment and the community. “We have ambitious ESG goals for the upcoming years and a solid commitment to the environment and the socioeconomic development of the communities, especially the areas in which we operate”, the executive affirms.

The project may represent social and economic benefits, income generation, and the mitigation of climate and environmental impacts. The collectors’ associations will be able to receive investments in infrastructure; CSN Cimentos will have an alternative fuel aligned with the guidelines of environmental policies, and the town halls will be able to reduce the cost of landfill disposal and logistics.