Effluents and waste

Within our operations, we generate hazardous wastes in connection with:

• Maintenance processes
• Replacement or breakdown of machinery and equipment
• Non-compliant product
• Packing and wrapping material
• General services

In all these cases, the waste is disposed of responsibly, in keeping with applicable SEMARNAT laws.

During handling of materials, containers or packages may be breached or broken, product may be non-compliant or other emergencies may arise. This is why, our facilities are rated “small generators” of hazardous waste, and only three of our plans are rated “large generators.” None of these facilities surpassed the maximum limits established for the category. We generated a total of 200 tons of hazardous waste in 2016.

In order to reduce the amount of non-hazardous waste we produce, we also have systems for monetizing the following types of waste:

• Sale of scrap containers: 111,657 units
• Waste paper, cardboard, plastic and wood from containers and wrapping, sold to recycling companies: 657 Tons.
• Collection of office paper: 3 Tons.
• Recycled computer equipment: 111 computers, 350 phones, 17 fax machines and 300 keyboards

Leaks and spills are among the environmental risks we contemplate in our operational risk matrix. To that end we have the infrastructure and equipment necessary for containment in the case of storage and transport of liquids as well as the very specific emergency protocols and procedures for each case.

The most severe events of this kind were:

• 94,019 liters of solvents spilled at our San Luis facility due to a fire at the recovery plant.
• 28,000 Tons of sodium meta bisulfite lost when a truck turned over during transportation, although this material is not considered hazardous, we worked together with the trucking company to recover the material and dispose it according to the laws of Mexico City.

In all cases, the spills took place within the primary containment areas of the product handling zones, meaning on concrete paving with protective trenches.

The material was collected and disposed of according to our procedure for handling hazardous waste.

In proportion to the total volume of materials moved, in kilos, the spills amounted to 0.00002%

In our investigation of these spills, we identified the need for training our forklift operators, and we proceeded to include such additional instruction to on top of what was already contemplated in our annual training plan.

Concerning the spill generated by the accident in the recovery plant in San Luis Potosí, the analysis of the event identified:

CAUSES

• A failure to comply with solvent bottling procedures.
• Error in process of preserving materials due to spill on container and time in which the spill persisted.
• Lack of supervision.

EFFECTS

• Vapor accumulation resulting from the spill and high temperatures.
• Static produced by gravity flow bottling.

Leessons learned

• Devote the necessary time to training in operating procedures before new employees start work
• Always have a more experienced employee supervising
• Raise safety awareness among personnel
• Ensure that firefighting equipment (sprinklers and extinguishers) are in satisfactory operating condition
• Maintain formal brigades staffed with trained employees
• Conduct drills twice a year