22
Arzyz rides the
recycling wave
A u t o m o t i v e i n d u s t r y d r i v e s M e x i c o ’s a l u m i n i u m re c y c l i n g
Mexico’s non-ferrous metal recycling sector is witnessing rapid growth and aluminium ingot producer Arzyz is proof
of that. The company operates three facilities in the Monterrey area in the north of the country handling 25 000
tonnes of scrap per month – with new facilities underway adding another 40 000 tonnes.
Monterrey, Mexico’s economic pow-
erhouse and the industrial and busi-
ness capital of northern Mexico, is
home to many of the country’s largest
corporations. The long list of brands
and companies with production sites
in and around the metropolis of five
A U T H O R Martijn Reintjes | P H O T O Arzyz
One of Arzyz’s production sites within the Monterrey industrial hub.
million people includes Pepsico, John
Deere, Siemens, General Motors,
Whirlpool and Caterpillar.
ALL EYES ON TESLA
Monterrey continues to attract for-
eign investors, particularly in the
manufacturing and technology sec-
tors. The latest is carmaker Tesla’s
announcement of Gigafactory Mexico
near Monterrey, providing thousands
of jobs. But the US$ 10 billion (EUR 9
billion) project is on hold and a final
decision has been postponed.
With or without Tesla, car manufactur-
ing is a major and growing industry in
Mexico. In the central Guanajuato
region, one of the country’s car-mak-
ing heartlands, 11 leading manufac-
turers including BMW and Mercedes-
Benz have arrived in recent years to
open modern facilities.
Clearly, the scale of this development
also offers major opportunities for the
recycling industry. Carmakers are hun-
gry for aluminium. At the same time,
they create tonnes of production
scrap which recyclers like aluminium
ingot producer Arzyz are happy to
consume.
BEST PRACTICE
It’s an hour by taxi from the centre of
Monterrey to the state-of-the art
facilities of Arzyz, north of the city, at
an industrial site called Ciénega de
Flores. From here it’s 200 km through
dry and dusty desert land to the
Mexican-US border.
‘Bienvenido a Arzyz,’ says the compa-
ny’s Vanesa Calvillo with big smile.
‘Here we produce high-quality alu-
minium ingots made of 80% scrap
and 20% prime material.’
On an average day, a dozen trucks
each carrying 20 tonnes of ‘high-qual-
ity’ scrap pass the gate at the Arzyz
facility. Scrap is sourced from all over
Mexico, from small- and medium-
sized collectors but also directly from
manufacturers. Calvillo: ‘It can be
stamp leftovers from carmakers or
from producers of construction mate-
rials such as window frames.’ Arzyz
also buys scrap from suppliers in the
US.
MATURE BUSINESS
Arzys has come a long way. What
started 45 years ago as a tiny busi-
ness – ‘with one furnace the size of
small car’ – is today a major, multi-
million aluminium recycler and pro-
ducer.
It has three facilities in the greater
Monterrey area and new facilities are
underway, boosting production
capacity and scrap usage. A US$ 650
million investment was recently
announced for the expansion, which
is expected to create 1 300 new jobs.
Arzyz has already invested millions in
its new facilities at Ciénega de
22-23_mexico39;sarzyz.indd 22 29-01-2025 11:24
