Report on Mexico’s End-of-Life Tire Management Agreement and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Executive Summary

The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) and the National Chamber of the Tire Industry (CNIH) have formalized a framework agreement to institute a responsible management system for end-of-life tires in Mexico. This initiative directly supports the nation’s transition toward a circular economy and aligns with several key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those concerning responsible production, sustainable cities, and multi-stakeholder partnerships.

2.0 Strategic Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The agreement is a significant measure for advancing Mexico’s commitment to the 2030 Agenda. Its objectives are directly linked to the following SDGs:

• SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production): The core objective is to shift from a linear “take-make-dispose” model to a circular one. By promoting the recovery and reuse of materials from used tires, the initiative fosters sustainable production processes and substantially reduces waste generation.
• SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): Effective management of end-of-life tires prevents them from accumulating in landfills and open dumps, mitigating environmental pollution and health risks in urban and rural communities. This contributes to creating safer, more resilient, and sustainable living environments.
• SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure): The development of the Circular Economy Park in Hidalgo and other Circular Economy Development Poles for Well-Being (PODECIBI) represents an investment in sustainable infrastructure and promotes innovation in recycling and material recovery industries.
• SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): The agreement exemplifies a strategic partnership between the public sector (SEMARNAT) and the private sector (CNIH), uniting government authorities, manufacturers, distributors, and recyclers to achieve common sustainability objectives.
• SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): By creating a formal value chain for tire recycling and establishing secondary raw material markets, this initiative is poised to generate green jobs and foster sustainable economic growth.

3.0 Core Objectives and Implementation Framework

The agreement outlines a clear framework for action centered on collaboration and shared responsibility. Key implementation mechanisms include:

1. Establishment of a Coordinating Body: A multi-stakeholder body will be formed, comprising manufacturers, distributors, recyclers, and government authorities, to oversee the tire value chain.
2. Development of Technical Standards: The body will be responsible for creating technical standards to ensure proper handling, traceability, and sustainable recovery of used tires.
3. Promotion of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): The initiative aims to move the industry toward an EPR model, where producers are responsible for the entire life cycle of their products.
4. Support for Circular Economy Infrastructure: The agreement directly supports the presidential initiative to develop a Circular Economy Park in Hidalgo, which will serve as a hub for integrating recycling processes and coordinating circular waste management actions.
5. National Awareness Campaigns: The framework will facilitate national campaigns in collaboration with state and municipal governments to promote responsible tire management among all stakeholders, including consumers.

4.0 Stakeholder Involvement and Commitment

The success of this initiative relies on the active participation of a diverse group of stakeholders, reflecting a broad-based commitment to circular economy principles.

• Government Sector: SEMARNAT, led by the Deputy Minister for Sustainable Development and Circular Economy, is driving the policy and regulatory framework.
• Industry Association: The CNIH is leading the private sector’s commitment to responsible environmental management and long-term sustainable solutions.
• Corporate Partners: Leading tire companies, including Michelin, Pirelli, Bridgestone, Grupo Avise, Tuzagreen, Neotech Asphalt, and Grupo Industrial Trujano, have demonstrated their support through their participation.

This collaborative approach ensures that the transition to a circular model is comprehensive, integrating actions across the entire value chain and promoting the fundamental right to a healthy environment for all citizens.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

• The article discusses the development of a “Circular Economy Park in Hidalgo” and the goal to “transform how used tires are managed and transition to circular and sustainable production processes.” This involves upgrading industrial processes and creating new infrastructure for recycling, which is central to SDG 9.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• The initiative aims to prevent waste, specifically used tires, from “ending up in landfills and open dumps.” This directly addresses the challenge of municipal waste management, which is a key component of creating sustainable and healthy urban environments under SDG 11.

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

• The core theme of the article is the shift towards a “circular economy” for tires. This involves promoting “responsible end-of-life tire management,” ensuring “materials are reused as secondary raw materials,” and moving the industry toward an “extended producer responsibility model.” These actions are fundamental to achieving sustainable consumption and production patterns as outlined in SDG 12.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• The article highlights a “framework agreement” signed between a government body (SEMARNAT) and a private sector organization (CNIH). This partnership brings together “manufacturers, distributors, recyclers, and government authorities” to achieve a common sustainability goal, perfectly illustrating the multi-stakeholder collaboration promoted by SDG 17.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Targets under SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

• Target 12.4: Achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle. The agreement’s focus on “responsible end-of-life tire management” to prevent them from ending up in landfills directly supports this target by managing a specific waste stream in an environmentally sound manner.
• Target 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse. The entire initiative is built around this target, aiming to transform used tires from waste into “secondary raw materials” through recycling and reuse within a circular economy model.

Targets under SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management. The plan to manage used tires, a significant source of urban waste, and divert them from “open dumps” directly contributes to improving municipal waste management and reducing the environmental impact of cities.

Targets under SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

• Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes. The creation of the “Circular Economy Park” and the push for the tire industry to adopt “circular and sustainable production processes” are direct actions toward upgrading infrastructure and retrofitting an industry for sustainability.

Targets under SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships. The agreement between SEMARNAT (public) and CNIH (private), which also involves a “coordinating body bringing together key stakeholders in the tire value chain,” is a clear example of the public-private partnerships this target aims to foster.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Indicators for SDG 12 Targets

• Implied Indicator for Target 12.5: The article implies the need to measure the amount of waste diverted from disposal sites. Progress could be measured by the national recycling rate of end-of-life tires or the tonnage of used tires prevented from entering landfills and open dumps.

Indicators for SDG 11 Targets

• Implied Indicator for Target 11.6: The focus on proper waste management suggests an indicator related to the collection and processing of waste. Progress could be tracked by the proportion of used tires collected and managed in controlled facilities (like the Circular Economy Park) versus those disposed of in uncontrolled dumps.

Indicators for SDG 9 Targets

• Implied Indicator for Target 9.4: The transition to new processes implies a need to measure adoption. An indicator could be the amount of secondary raw material (from recycled tires) utilized in new production processes by companies like Michelin, Pirelli, and Bridgestone, who were present at the event.

Indicators for SDG 17 Targets

• Implied Indicator for Target 17.17: The partnership’s effectiveness can be measured. A direct indicator is the number of public and private entities actively participating in the coordinating body established by the SEMARNAT-CNIH agreement. The article already lists several participating companies.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article.

Source: mexicobusiness.news