The Deputy Minister of Environmental Management of the Ministry of the Environment, Mariano Castro, presented the Government’s progress in this global trend, for example, in the Sector Roadmap.

Thus, on the first day of the event "Mining: sustainability, economic impact and electoral proposals", held during Heading to PERUMIN, Mariano Castro explained that although this instrument (of the Sector Roadmap) is currently focused on activities such as industry, agriculture, forestry, livestock and aquaculture, there is an opportunity in the mining sector.

"The roadmap towards the circular economy within the mining sector would include the recovery of tailings generated in the manufacture of bricks; the recovery of aluminum smelting to produce cement; and the treatment of residues to extract zinc, which is then used to control the acidity of the soil that affects the agricultural sector", he said.

Similarly, he argued that mining and the circular economy have synergies in sectors such as industry, agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture.

"The circular economy is proposing a change in the production and consumption model that makes it possible to reduce pressure on the use of natural resources, improves efficiency in production processes, minimizes and recovers solid and liquid waste, and reduces the emission of Greenhouse Gases without affecting economic growth", said Mariano Castro.

For her part, Antamina's Environmental Planning Manager, Fabiola Sifuentes, stressed that in the case of tailings management, there is a great opportunity in our country and to date there are already examples of ways to reuse it.

"Seeing the possibility of reducing this waste and giving it another use, addressing a current problem is key," said Fabiola Sifuentes.

Progress

During his presentation, the Vice Minister of Environmental Management highlighted that the National Competitiveness and Productivity Policy (PNCP) already includes the circular economy.

"The circular economy in Peru is being implemented by consumers, companies and the State. Consequently, we have a concrete trend that is making important changes with a systemic scope," he said.

Furthermore, he recalled that Peru, together with Colombia, currently preside over the Circular Economy coalition of Latin America and the Caribbean, whose mission is to provide a regional platform to improve inter-ministerial, multisectoral and multiactor cooperation in order to increase knowledge and understanding about the circular economy, facilitating education, training and technical assistance for the development of public policies for the circular economy and sustainable consumption and production.