Dutch solutions for Mexican waste piles

Mrs. Paola Rojas is Business Developer for Mexico & Latin America at ECOR since 2018. She seeks to translate her passion for sustainability by expanding the implementation of circular economy solutions in the Mexican economy. ECOR was founded in 2006 with the intention to develop high-performance building materials from cellulose waste fiber.  That is, the ECOR technology transforms organic waste into high quality construction panels by applying pressure, water, and heath. Over the past decade, the company grew across borders, expanding their profile, and cooperating with representatives all over the world.  

What is the main goal of ECOR? 

It is our mission to be one of the leaders in circular economy through the deployment of innovative solutions in partnerships with global manufacturers, smart cities, and government agencies1.  

For Mexico this means that we mainly work for environmentally committed companies, where we offer consultancy on the implementation of circular economy techniques. Besides, we offer the ECOR product; a panel made of recycled materials that can serve several purposes such as furniture or packaging. We ensure that 100% of the material is recycled and that the product is easily disassembled. That makes it possible to re-use the panels in newly produced products with different end-goals.  

Why did ECOR decide to expand to Mexico? 

Expanding to Mexico was a strategic move for several reasons. Firstly, Mexico is a big market in terms of inhabitants, number of companies, and the size and scope of the manufacturing industry. This translates into a high availability of resources and a lot of waste, which automatically creates opportunities for ECOR. Mexico City ranks as the second biggest waste producer among the world’s megacities, generating 20,000 tons of garbage every day. That equals to one full Azteca Stadium on a weekly basis2. This tremendous problem creates opportunities for ECOR since we offer waste-to-value technologies. In addition, Mexico’s geographical location is very favorable. Besides the national market that is full of opportunities, there is easy access to the world’s biggest economy, namely the US.  We are currently planning to place a new ECOR production plant close to the Mexico-US border that will enable us to serve both Mexican and US markets. Lastly, Mexico offers a lot of room for circular economy implementation, since the application and local knowledge of such innovative techniques is still limited. ECOR wanted to benefit from this situation, hence we took one of the first steps into the process of making Mexico more circular.  

How important is the cooperation between the public and private sector, to facilitate the implementation of new sustainable techniques?

When you want to make large-scale sustainable improvements, cooperation with the public sector is key. Therefore, ECOR has an open and constant dialogue with the Mexican government. A clear example of the importance of a good relationship with the public sector can be found in The Netherlands. Amsterdam is aiming to become the first city to have a complete circular economy by 2050. This is a highly ambitious goal, but step-by-step progress demonstrates the productive cooperation between the public and private sector.  

How do you expect the Mexican sustainability sector to develop in the coming five years?  

Considering the current covid-19 crisis, the upcoming five years will be arduous for all economies and sectors. Mexico estimates the GDP growth for 2020 to fall to -3,9%3, due to the corona virus contingency. Nevertheless, there are many opportunities, especially in the sustainability sector. We should shift our focus towards projects that maximize the economic recovery, such as circular economy projects which reduce waste. Such projects enable fixed production cost reduction and thus lead to a higher profitability for organizations. At the same time, they contribute greatly to a better environment. It is a win-win! 

In what way has Holland House Mexico supported ECOR? 

Being a Holland House Mexico member has been of great advantage for ECOR. The biggest benefits have been the networking support and the offered office space. Because of Holland House Mexico, we were introduced to valuable contacts from companies within the sector and governmental institutes. Furthermore, by using the office space we were able to host meetings and welcome new clients. In conclusion, I think it is a very good decision to become a Holland House Mexico member.