Cemex Works with Querétaro to Become Mexico’s First Zero-Waste City
The municipality of Queretaro, part of the Metropolitan Area of Queretaro (one of the top 10 largest cities in Mexico), is leading the country’s first zero waste-to-landfill initiative in partnership with Regenera, this Cemex business provides circularity solutions to extend the life cycle of construction products and materials through reuse in value-added products. Queretaro generates 950 tons of total waste daily, ~1 kilogram per capita of general waste. The Broquers plant, owned and managed by Regenera, is central to this effort.
Broquers was the first plant in Mexico to implement European-standard waste separation equipment, enhancing efficiency and environmental sustainability. Since Regenera assumed operations three years ago, the plant has nearly tripled its capacity, now processing 22,800 tons of waste monthly, which accounts for about 90% of Queretaro’s waste.
Currently, Broquers converts over 40% of inorganic nonrecyclable waste into energy for Cemex’s cement plant; additionally, through its collection and sorting processes, it enables the recycling of materials by other industries, reducing landfill waste and supporting a circular economy.
A new project aims to increase this amount to over 90% by drying the organic waste so it can also be used as fuel, cutting nearly 12,000 tons of CO2 emissions monthly.