Cuban Cigar Company uses industrial waste to diversify production

HOLGUIN, Cuba, January 6 (ACN) The Lázaro Peña Cigar Company in the eastern province of Holguín, part of the Tabacuba Group, is maximizing the use of industrial waste to diversify production and reduce raw material acquisition costs.

Following the principle of the circular economy as a core element of its management, the company operates a reconstituted tobacco plant, the first of its kind in the country, dedicated to transforming waste from the Criollos cigarette manufacturing process, including dust and the central vein of the leaf, into a new reusable product, Alexis Heredia Domínguez, senior technologist, told the Cuban News Agency.

The combination of these elements yields a profitable, environmentally friendly, and low-cost raw material that is integrated into the production cycle as an additional component in the cigar blend, adding weight and volume while replacing other inputs with similar characteristics.

This work is fundamental to the sector's sustainability, as it not only maximizes the value of the two main industrial waste products but also optimizes the use of agricultural land by enabling the formulation of effective mixtures that reduce the demand for new planting areas, he stated.

Currently, the company is collaborating with the universities of Holguín and Moa on the development of products such as tabaquina, an insecticide derived from tobacco leaf dust, with the aim of using it in local food programs.

Likewise, this waste has proven effective when transformed into compost used to fertilize the company's gardens and plots, which contribute to the self-sufficiency of the workers' cafeteria and benefit the workers and their families.

Heredia Domínguez added that the leftover paper from the manufacturing process is also recycled and used to create educational materials for the children at the Los Criollitos Children's Center, an institution that has been operating for nearly 20 years.

The Lázaro Peña company boasts important recognitions for its management, including the Quality Award of the Republic of Cuba, obtained on two occasions, as well as distinctions in the categories of Light Industry and Innovation during the Expo Caribe 2025 International Fair.