Propuesta para establecer medidas con enfoque de producción más limpia en el ingenio El Potrero, Veracruz

Abstract

The sugar industry in Mexico is of great importance since the sugar in the country is considered as a basic commodity; furthermore, this activity generates 450,000 direct jobs driving the rural economy, it is so important that it was included in the North America Free Trade Agreement (1994). The Mexican State expected both vigorous modernization and international competiveness based on integrated development for the sugar industry. However, results are less than expected. On the environmental side, sugar mills area characterized by producing air and water pollution besides large quantities of solid waste. One option to address these problems is a cleaner production methodology which could improve the negative aspects of the activity as well as to implement preventive measures that not only to improve the environmental conditions but to speed up the ecological efficiency of the Mexican sugar industry. This work included field visits to the sugar mill “Tres Valles” to analyze the best practices that it has implemented to achieve reductions in both economical and environmental costs on its operations. On the other hand the sugar mill “El Potrero” was visited too, this mill can improve its operation greatly. The best practices observed in “Tres Valles” were analyzed and this work proposes which of those practices are feasible to be implemented by “El Potrero”. The estimated savings that “El Potrero” could achieve are over 10 million pesos with an estimated return period of the investment of six months. On the environmental side, if these practices are implanted by the sugar mill “El Potrero” 3,400 tons of CO2 would not be sent to the atmosphere and 67,374 m3 of water could be reduced in every harvest. The hazardous waste does not represent a danger to the environment since “El Potrero” disposes it observing the environmental law.