Cuban project implements circular economy scheme

CIEGO DE AVILA, Cuba, February 17 (ACN) The annual conversion of more than 20 tons of beef tallow, acquired from meat processing plants across the country, into raw materials for soaps and other hygiene, beauty, and skin health products demonstrates the commitment of the Delavida Local Development Project (PDL) in the municipality of Moron, in the central province of Ciego de Avila, to implementing a circular economy model.

This initiative valorizes previously discarded and environmentally polluting waste by reincorporating it as raw materials into the production chain, as well as used cooking oils rejected by the kitchens of state-run and private restaurants and hotels in the Jardines del Rey tourist destination and the cities of Moron and Ciego de Avila.

In statements to the Cuban News Agency, specialists from the Territorial Delegation of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment in the territory emphasized that at Delavida, the byproducts of pressing fruits like coconut and sesame—of which they processed four tons in the last year—are used for animal feed.

Nothing is wasted, everything is transformed: defective soaps and soap flakes are reintegrated into the manufacturing process to produce soap flakes and cleaning products, confirming a near-perfect cycle closure in the production line.

They align themselves with trends in artisanal cosmetology worldwide by establishing a container recovery program at their points of sale, through which customers can contribute or return containers; in addition to progressively replacing plastic bags with biodegradable ones.

The project's environmental benefits include a reduction in waste released into the environment, savings in virgin raw materials, and a decrease in the carbon footprint.

This latter benefit is further enhanced by the planned installation of a photovoltaic system to partially cover the factory's energy needs.

Economically, utilizing waste as inputs reduces material costs and creates new opportunities for a business with sales in all 10 municipalities of Ciego de Avila province, Artex corporation stores on Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo, and a retail network in several provinces.

The social dimension is another pillar of the enterprise and is primarily realized through systematic collaboration with the two provincial hospitals and other public health institutions in the Ciego de Avila region.

Specialists at the CapitAn Roberto RodrIguez Fernandez Provincial General Teaching Hospital, located in the city of Moron, confirmed that these products contribute to sepsis control in the Neonatology service and the treatment of dermatological diseases such as scabies in Pediatrics, with no adverse reactions reported in over three years of use.

With a product line comprised of 53 items (soaps, creams, body oils, shampoos, conditioners, hair masks, talcum powder, detergents, air fresheners, floor cleaners, and others), Delavida has demonstrated its progress since the project's inception in 2021.

Products manufactured under the Delavida brand, certified by the National Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology, reach international clients through in-room services and authorized points of sale in hotels in the Jardines del Rey tourist destination.

The implemented circularity scheme aligns with the objectives of the national and provincial strategies for the Transition to a Circular Economy, documents that are aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the National Economic and Social Development Program.

The Delavida experience demonstrates that it is possible to progress using endogenous resources and local knowledge, reduce dependence on imported inputs, and strengthen the community economy within a locally based innovation framework.