World Water Day (22 March 2019)
Sustainability is one of the main pillars of the strategy of responsibility towards the environment promoted by COMSA Corporación. Its lines of action are closely linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) promoted by the United Nations. Chief among them is the principle of ‘Clean Water and Sanitation’ (SDG 6), which seeks to increase the efficient use of water resources and ensure the sustainability of the fresh water extraction and supply to address scarcity.
In this context, it is worth highlighting the rainwater harvesting initiative promoted by GMN, a subsidiary of the group that is specialised in the management, treatment and recovery of end-of-life tyres, in order to reduce its dependence on common water resources.
At its plant in Maials (Lleida), since 2003 the company has had a concrete pit that stores rainwater, which is obtained through a piped water supply system and is pumped to the rubber grinding area in order to cool both the machinery and the by-product. Once the water has been introduced into the grinder, it is recovered and returned again to the same pit, recirculating over itself.
Due to the good results of this water optimisation and efficiency system, during the expansion of the plant, in 2007, the number of rainwater collection points was also increased, as well as the piping network that transports it to the pit.
Rainwater is stored in a pit and used to cool the tyres recycling process