Cemex has expanded its use of alternative fuels with an agreement with 3M in Panama to process their industrial waste. This collaboration aligns with Cemex’s Future in Action strategy to reduce its carbon footprint and contribute to a circular economy.

This agreement adds to Cemex’s extensive capacity to repurpose society’s waste in its operations, reducing the carbon footprint of its own productions processes as well as the amount of waste sent to landfills. Decomposition in landfills produces methane gas, a greenhouse gas that is 25 times as potent as carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere.

3M will transfer waste from its manufacturing process with a high calorific value, such as residual foam and wool, to Cemex. 3M will transfer approximately 30t of its waste per year for Cemex to use as an alternative fuel to produce high-quality cement for Panama. "With this agreement, we will ensure that our waste has a second use and carry out the co-processing of our waste, valuing the waste as an alternative fuel; helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, better waste management, and reduction in the use of fossil fuels," said Enrique Aguirre, MD of 3M in the Central America and Caribbean Region.

“We are very pleased to make this alliance that strengthens our company’s path towards our carbon neutrality goal by 2050. Cemex and the building materials industry can play an important role in the creation of a truly circular economy. As evidenced by this agreement, we welcome this challenge and are moving aggressively to create the better circular world of the future,” said Jesús González, president of Cemex South, Central America, and the Caribbean.”