Comercial Hual
Enabling Sustainable Metal Recycling in Chile

The idea of recycling is not new for Chileans; it has been encouraged among the population for years. But, as far as the metals are concerned, its true orchestration remained unrefined, hidden under the veil of various operational and legal challenges.

A pivotal moment graced Chile in 2016 as a new law was enacted, ushering in an era of recycling and promoting a circular model. The law demands producers, once mere observers, to bear the mantle of responsibility for shepherding the products through their entire lifecycle and attaining recycling milestones. However, it’s imperative to recognize that this initial phase is not yet extensive, leaving a significant question of what metals are concerned unanswered.

This leaves a canvas of opportunity for expansion and deeper environmental stewardship in the realm of recycling. A company with its mission engraved in environmental responsibility and industrial recycling, Comercial Hual stands as an unequivocal solution for producers and recyclers seeking seamless, efficient, and secure management of industrial metal residuals.

Established as a brainchild of a seasoned recycling specialist, its Chairman Alfredo Alfaro Motles, Comercial Hual began by processing waste or slag and smelting by-products. This was converted into Copper Concentrate and later sold in the local markets, especially to companies such as Enami, the largest national Copper refinery at that time. However, evolving market dynamics and declining material availability have stipulated team Comercial Hual to take a strategic shift toward expanding its business to non-ferrous metals.

This is how its CEO, David Alfaro Muñoz, travelled to the U.S. to seek support and training in the management of metal waste. Its partnership with a leading North American firm helped incorporate industry best practices and introduce International Scrap Classification to Chile, setting a revolutionary trend and contributing to professionalizing the activity.

Drawing on its five decades of industry experience and domain knowledge, Comercial Hual is now the pinnacle of sustainable metal recycling in Chile. It specializes in recycling aluminum, copper, bronze, and stainless steel while remaining committed to environmental stewardship, efficient operations, and secure management of industrial metal residuals. It combines raw materials with scrap to create new products and serves as a reliable partner for recyclers, offering education in metal valuation, identification, selection, and meticulous adherence to tax regulations.

Comercial Hual’s unwavering commitment to sustainability and innovation has weathered the changing tides of the industry and played a pivotal role in shaping it.

Creating a Circular Economy

The Chilean population’s knowledge about recycling is still incipient, and its development is precarious, resulting in various informal suppliers delivering materials without knowing how to differentiate them. This instigated Comercial Hual to embark on a journey of empowering new recyclers, educating them on reusing metals to extend their lifespan, market value, and the art of selecting metal scraps. The team is also well-versed in navigating them through the intricate route of formalizing operations in compliance with the tax regulations and the legal framework.

Serving as an advocate of sustainable and efficient recycling, Comercial Hual has established a productive chain, allowing them to seamlessly obtain high-quality materials and products.

“Our goal is to be a responsible and efficient metal trader, guaranteeing the highest quality of our products and complete satisfaction of clients and suppliers by transforming industrial waste materials into valuable raw material for their reuse,” says David Alfaro Muñoz, CEO of Comercial Hual. “We’re a family business to which three generations have already joined their commitment with recycling.”

Anchoring on to this mission, Comercial Hual upholds transparency and traceability in all its operations. It strictly adheres to legal compliance standards for suppliers to verify the origin of materials, promoting ethical practice and eliminating material of questionable origin. The firm also stays updated on new regulations of other countries to ensure the products will reach their destination in full compliance with legislation.

Comercial Hual keeps an eye on cutting-edge technologies and embraces those befitting its requirement to serve as the most preferred partner for clients. It also invests in advanced material treatment machinery to enhance operational efficiency and offer superior solutions to the market. The state-of-the-art manufacturing plant receives and processes a diverse range of metal components and categorizes them based on alloys and dimensions. It can even compress the secondary raw materials into blocks (bailing) using plastic or wire straps or convert the leftovers into logs (briquetting) to prevent wastage for industrial processes.

Triumphs that Celebrate Comercial Hual

Comercial Hual caters to a wide spectrum of suppliers nationwide, with Chile’s premier power utility, Compañía General de Electricidad, among its esteemed clientele.

A recent success involves a client looking for an expert to give a new life to products, scraps, and other material collected over months before they approached Comercial Hual. It worked with the supplier, inspected their materials, and manufactured new products that were later sold to other companies for competitive prices. The team has also helped many companies from Antofagasta at the North until Punta Arenas in the extreme southern parts of Chile recycle their alloys within a high-quality environment.

These instances stand as a testament to its unwavering commitment to customer service. A team of seasoned experts dedicated to bringing efficiency and transparency in materials reception and classification complements its service excellence. A transparent pricing structure based on London Metal Exchange (LME) is another key differentiator for Comercial Hual, allowing it to ensure secure and prompt payments to suppliers. This notion of transparency spanning its entire operations makes it a reliable partner for both suppliers and customers.

Comercial Hual has a steadfast commitment to environmental stewardship and embraces a holistic approach to sustainability. It is firmly rooted in an eco-conscious business philosophy that focuses on conserving natural resources and minimizing waste. For the road ahead, it is planning to implement solar panels with photovoltaic panels to promote renewable energy for its operations.