Page 19 from: Recycling International May/June issue 2023
ISRI2023 CONVENTION & EXPO
19recyclinginternational.com | May/June | 2023
Fox led Mexico from 2000 to 2006.
Before that he built an impressive
career within the Coca-Cola company.
‘It was never my plan to become presi-
dent or a politician,’ he told the confer-
ence. ‘I was in search of happiness by
doing things to help others. So by
searching for happiness, I moved from
business into politics.’
Some say as a politician he was contro-
versial. Certainly, he’s an interesting
figure with a sense of humour: ‘I didn’t
cross a wall this time to get to the
United States – it looks like we’re
improving our relationship,’ Fox joked
during his opening remarks.
DRIVING DEVELOPMENT
Getting serious, he said he believes
recyclers have a big responsibility.
Recycling is crucial, not only for the
environment but also for the trade
relations between his country and the
US, which were ‘among the biggest in
the world’.
According to Fox, Mexico is witnessing
spectacular industrial growth. The cen-
tral Guanajuato region, where Fox grew
up, is one of the car-making heartlands
of the country. In recent years, some 11
leading automobile manufacturers,
including BMW and Mercedes-Benz,
have arrived to open modern facilities.
‘Obviously the scale of this develop-
ment offers major opportunity for the
recycling industry, too.’
Mexico has big problems, Fox
acknowledges. The violence and the
big drugs cartels are a major threat to
society and democracy, ‘and so is
growing populism’.
On a positive note, for Mexico the
coronavirus pandemic was a big chal-
lenge, according to Fox, from which
the country emerged better than
before. ‘It offered chances. As else-
where we used the pandemic to adopt
new technology.’
CHANGE FOR THE BETTER
Economic growth, education and
industrial development are among the
key ways to make things change for
the better. ‘People from South America
continue to come to the US because
they want to make ten dollars per hour
rather than one dollar in Colombia or
Venezuela. In order to stop this inbal-
ance you need development and eco-
nomic growth at home.’
For that, recyclers are also needed,
believes Fox. ‘So let’s start to clean the
world together. Viva USA, Viva
Mexico!’
Javier Pérez (left) with two fellow recyclers.Francisco Montalvo.
FOR ARZYZ THE ONLY WAY IS UP
Mexico’s non-ferrous metal recycling sector is witnessing rapid growth and aluminium ingots
producer Arzyz is proof of that.
The company operates three facilities in the Monterrey area handling 25 000 tonnes of scrap
per month – with three new facilities planned for the near future adding another 40 000
tonnes capacity, Recycling International was told on the sidelines of the ISRI Convention.
‘These investments are all boosted by the car industry,’ says plant manager Francisco
Montalvo. ‘We are seeing so many car factories pop up and our region is among the
hotspots. These carmakers are truly hungry for aluminium. At the same time, they produce a
lot of production scrap which we’re happy to consume.’
Javier Pérez from Recicla Centro near Mexico City attended the event in search of a tool to
vacuum the smoke given off while torch-cutting metals. ‘We do approximately 3 500 tonnes
of ferrous per month and this smoke is not good. Not for the environment, not for our neigh-
bours who have started to complain, and they’re right.’
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