Green Oasis in Carmen

The idea—championed by the Production Department and staff from the accommodation facilities—looks to directly and concretely promote our new corporate value: Sustainability.

“We must be and appear to be; we must have a sustainable, environmentally friendly image. That is why we developed this project, which aims to create a large green space within our facilities and a more harmonious workplace in sync with our surroundings,” explained Humberto Carvajal, Production Manager at Salar del Carmen.

Currently, the project is being developed in phases. To date 1,800 square meters have been turned into green areas and/or desert gardens, which has involved soil improvements, irrigation and planting of diverse species native to desert climates and their low temperatures, high humidity and dew, along with winds that often exceed 20 km/h.

Christian Gaviño, manager of the accommodation facilities at Salar del Carmen, added that another relevant factor behind this initiative was SQM’s leadership as a global producer of fertilizers. “As a company we must have a sustainable, environmentally friendly image in this important area.”

The sectors involved in the first phase include the areas around the Production Department, the perimeter around the main and northern guard houses and the bus parking lots. “The idea is to continue incorporating other sectors over the next few months in 2021, covering another 600 square meters, as permitted by expansion projects,” added Gaviño.

“At Salar del Carmen, operational and production development are our duties and are always complemented by growth, respect for our surroundings and our workers’ quality of life. Generating sustainable growth hand in hand with our environment is a value, policy and part of the thinking of each worker,” specified Humberto Carvajal.