In Grupo Condumex, we allocate resources in a planned and systematic manner to guarantee that the activities of our companies meet the current environmental regulations in the places where these operate.
To meet this mission, we have created the Ecological Improvement Group (GME, Grupo de Mejoramiento Ecologico), the Corporate Ecology Management (Gerencia Corporativa de Ecologia, and High-Performance Teams (EAD, Equipos de Alto Desempeño). The Ecological Improvement Group was integrated in 1996, preparing a group of specialized people to address administrative regularization, atmospheric contamination, water contamination, environmental risk, safety and hygiene, waste disposal and soil contamination issues.
To consolidate their action, the Corporate Ecology Management was created in 1998, an area responsible for defining the strategies and environmental development programs for the companies of Grupo Condumex, and for coordination of a multi-task program that addresses internal audits for environmental compliance, training courses and other special projects.
Internal audits have been performed already in every plant of Grupo Condumex.
Our long-term goal is zero generation of wastes and discharges, thus, we have developed internal projects oriented to the reduction of hazardous waste generation and discharge minimization. The following is a description of some of the projects and their impact on the environment:
§ Solvent recovery from enamel foots used in magnet wire manufacturing. From implementation, this equipment has treated enamel foots at a rate of 45 thousand liters per year.
§ Mobile unit to treat emulsion wastes, via ultrafiltration and high-vacuum evaporation processes. From startup in 1997, more than three million liters of wastes have been treated, which means a reduction in hazardous waste generation from 600 thousand to 56 thousand liters per year.
§ Recycling of copper fines. From 1998, 118,240 tons of this type of residues have been sold to third parties.
§ Emulsion waste treatment system in the plant of continuous copper casting, with a capacity of three million liters per year, using an ultrafiltration-reverse osmosis process. With a zero discharge process, the plant meets the environmental regulations and has achieved a reduction in concentrate generation from 15% to 3% vs. the treated emulsion waste volume (422 thousand to 89 thousand per year). In addition, the use of surfactants was eliminated, at a rate of 20 tons/year, and water usage was decreased at a rate of 1.5 million liters/year, that is reused in the process.
§ Mineral oils reuse. Plants of Grupo Condumex in the Bajio generate spent mineral oil in their operation. Previously, this oil was treated as a hazardous waste, and was shipped to a contractor for confinement or thermal scrapping. In 2001, a high-performance team developed a recycling project performed by an external company, authorized by the Environment Department (SEMARNAT). Currently, spent mineral oil is reused as lubricant for machines in one of the group’s plants, at a rate of 180 thousand liters per year.