Cuban recycling industry contributes US$30 million in the first quarter of 2021

HAVANA, Cuba, May 26 (ACN) The recycling industry, one of those called to increase its contribution to the Cuban economy, contributed to the country 30 million USD in the first three months of 2021 by replacing imports and final products.

This was announced today by Jorge Luis Tamayo Díaz, president of the Recycling Business Group, who stated that his companies are focused on generating greater income in the face of the complex national situation, as a result of the economic, commercial and financial blockade by the United States.

We have managed to recover more than 46,000 tons of waste, much of which has been directed to the production of steel and to important programs such as the housing and sugar programs, he said.

Among the main contributions in recent months are paper and cardboard waste for various productions, glass containers for medicines and food, and textile containers for the food program.

In line with the new measures to strengthen the socialist state enterprise, the Group is trying to change old habits and implement strategies that contribute to the circular economy, having as pillars: reduce, reuse, repair and recycle.
In line with the above, new products have been manufactured using recycled materials as raw materials.

He said that thanks to the foreign currency financing scheme, decentralized at the company level, they have been able to purchase spare parts, make small investments and buy 150 electric motorcycles so that the recyclers can work close to the source of waste.

Increasing the added value of recyclable waste through improved processing and retail classification, and the introduction of e-commerce to bring in foreign currency, are other innovative ways of doing things that companies in the industry are currently working on.

The objective of substituting imports and seeking income in this way is more present than ever in the six thousand state workers and the four thousand self-employed workers who pay taxes to the industry, said Tamayo Díaz.

He also mentioned that 25 percent of the Group's workforce is made up of young people under 35 years of age, including more than 950 university students with a high level of training.

The young knowledge and 60 years of experience of a task promoted by Comandante Che Guevara are the driving force to continue improving the recycling activity in Cuba.