Mexico is at a pivotal moment in its efforts to establish the circular economy as part of its sustainable development policy. The National Development Plan 2025–2030, the Mexico Plan, the General Law on the Circular Economy, and Nationally Determined Contribution 3.0 all point toward a transformation of the economy through the promotion and implementation of circular production and consumption models.

In this context, in the summer of 2026, an agreement was formalized between the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN, by its German acronym) and the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), to implement the project titled “Enhancing Feasibility for Eco-Industrial Parks (PODECIBIS). Circular innovation & financial intelligence for unlocking new markets and fostering inclusive economic development through cooperation.”

As part of the project’s kick-off activities, and in collaboration with the PROCEP project, a workshop titled “National Waste Policy and Its Linkage with the Private Sector for the Transition to a Circular Economy” was held on August 25, 2026. The workshop helped identify the needs of each link in the waste management chain to ensure compliance with regulations and establish circularity as a top priority.

The workshop was attended by the head of the Undersecretariat of Sustainable Development and the Circular Economy, Dr. José Luis Samaniego Leyva, as well as the heads and representatives of Mexico’s leading industrial and business chambers, including: CANACINTRA, CANAINTEX, CNIH, CANACEM, CANIETI, CANIRAC, CANAFEM, CONCAMIN, CONCANACO, and CANACERO.

Among the workshop’s key findings are the following: the private sector does not question the direction of the policy, but rather the conditions necessary to implement it; greater clarity is needed regarding the scope of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR); and; among the stakeholders, there is a robust array of educational, technical, and social resources available to make the circular economy a reality. The challenge, therefore, is not only to build new capacities but also to coordinate, scale up, and leverage existing ones. We will continue to collaborate on this path and keep you updated through this channel!

Images from the workshop “National Waste Policy and Its Link to the Private Sector for the Transition to the Circular Economy.” Credits: GIZ Mexico – Marco García.