Cemex teams up with LGUs for sustainable waste management

MANILA, Philippines — Regenera, the circularity solutions unit of Cemex Philippines, continues to scale up partnerships with more than 30 local government units (LGUs) across the country to help address the growing waste problem through recovery, management, recycling, and sustainable disposal and diversion of residual waste.

According to a recently published Philippine Waste Management Report by the Commission on Audit (COA), there is insufficient waste facilities and landfills to cater to the LGUs and barangays across the country. As of 2021, the Philippines only had 11,637 total materials recovery facilities that served 16,418 — 39 percent — out of 42,046 barangays. Some 245 total operational sanitary landfills meanwhile only catered to 478 or 29 percent out of 1,634 LGUs.

To help address this growing concern on waste management, Regenera is revolutionizing waste management practices in Luzon and Visayas covering the new LGU partners in the provinces of Cebu, Rizal, Quezon, Cavite, Laguna. New partners include Angono and Teresa in Rizal; Lumban, Laguna and Moalboal in Cebu.  These LGU partners manage and segregate their respective consolidated residual plastic wastes which are turned over to Cemex Philippines’ Solid Cement Plant in Rizal and Apo Cement Plant in Cebu for co-processing in its cement kilns.

Cemex’s cement kilns are effective waste eaters, designed to process non-recyclable materials, a cleaner and safer option than landfilling. By using waste as fuel, Cemex facilities can reduce the need for fossil fuels, helping to lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Regenera leverages CEMEX’s global expertise and infrastructure to use waste and industrial byproducts as sustainable substitutes for fossil fuels and natural raw materials in its production processes, by offering services including reception, management, recycling, and coprocessing of waste. Co-processing is a proven sustainable waste disposal solution that reduces pollution and landfill space through the simultaneous recycling of materials and recovery of energy by utilizing a cement kiln.  By implementing sustainable waste management solutions, these LGUs are contributing to the reduction of the environmental impact of wastes.

“Through these partnerships, Cemex continues to implement innovative strategies for wastes through co-processing. By diverting waste from landfills and employing co-processing technology, we reduce our carbon footprint and help provide long term solutions to waste management challenges,” said Luis Franco, president and CEO of Cemex Holdings Philippines.