With an emphasis on the circular economy, Codelco El Teniente Division provided support to the Association of Irrigators of the Picarquín sector, by providing disused conveyor belts to line 3,000 linear meters of irrigation ditches and improve the efficiency of water use. This collaborative action directly benefited more than 300 people in that sector of San Francisco de Mostazal.

The initiative arose after a formal request from the irrigators, who were facing problems of water loss in a porous terrain, where the irrigation ditches lined with cans were not efficient. In response to the request from the irrigators, various alternatives were evaluated to solve the problem.

Eric San Martín, Environment Director (i) of Codelco El Teniente Division, explained that “we decided to use conveyor belts from the Secondary Crushing area as an option. This solution not only improved the efficiency of the system, but also allowed us to take advantage of an available material, aligning with the principles of circular economy that we promote as a Division.”

For his part, Sebastián Misleh, member of the association and in charge of Finances of Exportadora San Sebastián, added that “installing these rubbers in the direction of the slope, following the Texas system, allowed us to achieve almost 100% waterproofing. Thanks to this project, many people in the irrigation community of Picarquín have benefited.”

“About two years ago, we had a fairly severe drought, which allowed us to really understand the value of water. We always hear that water is life, but we reaffirm that it is so. For the different uses we give it, waterproofing this irrigation system that covers about 3 kilometers has been a great help,” he added.

“Paradigm shift”

This initiative was developed thanks to the collaboration of various groups, especially with the participation of the Secondary Crushing workers, who handed over the unused conveyor belts. In addition, they contributed to the technical evaluation, management of transport and delivery of materials to the irrigators, ensuring the effectiveness of the solution.

Ricardo Sanzana, Head of Planning and Maintenance at Primary Crushing, said that “the paradigm shift is in connecting the operational aspect with the environmental and social value. Before, we used to throw away the belts, but now we give them a second life. This change is significant, since we went from thinking that environmental value was someone else's job to actively getting involved, showing that what has completed a cycle is useful for others.”

This initiative is part of Codelco's 2030 commitments, aimed at recycling 65% of industrial waste, such as steel, wood, packaging, organic waste and scrap metal. Through the implementation of innovative circular models, the company seeks to find solutions to problems in waste management.