Circular Economy at home? San Luis Potosí shows how

SMALL ON BUDGET, BIG ON CREATIVITY

A campaign to promote the circular economy has inspired employees at the Mexican site in San Luis Potosí to come up with creative solutions. Those who presented the best idea for circular use of materials in their own home could win prizes such as a bicycle or a sound system. Participants made short videos showing how they reuse, repair, refurbish, recycle, share, or avoid using materials and resources. The ideas submitted demonstrated great ingenuity in implementing simple projects on limited budgets. And above all, they showed that commitment to the environment begins with small changes in behavior at home.

FOUR OF THE IDEAS SUBMITTED

• A homemade graywater system in the laundry collects water that can be reused for cleaning processes.
• Organic waste from the kitchen becomes compost material for the garden.
• A homegrown fruit and vegetable garden in front of the house for regularly consumed produce such as tomatoes and tangerines reduces a family's carbon footprint.
• The purchase of rechargeable batteries in exchange for disposable batteries is a good example of how even the life cycle of a not particularly sustainable product can be closed.

OF COMPOST AND LEMONS

Despite a somewhat hesitant participation in this first environmental campaign, the participants themselves showed great interest. Once the campaign was over, the HR department received inquiries from employees who wanted this type of environmental activity to continue. As a result, it was decided to implement two of the proposed ideas. The first project aims to create compost from organic waste from the plant canteen, which serves more than 400 lunches daily. In the second project, a small grove of citrus trees will be established, and fertilized with yields from the first project. Both projects are still in the early planning stages, but are expected to be implemented over the next two years.