For decades, National Cuesta Center (CCN) has set the standard in terms of sustainability in the Dominican Republic. Its environmental commitment is neither new nor circumstantial: it is part of its DNA. From reusable covers and bulk vegetables to the use of LED lighting and solar panels, each action seeks to reduce its environmental footprint and strengthen a responsible business culture.
That commitment to doing things well takes tangible form in a little-known division, but essential for its operation: Reverse Logisticsa space where waste is transformed into resources and where sustainability you live day by day.
This plant located in the modern Distribution and Logistics Center of El Pedregal, Santo Domingo Norte, inaugurated in 2024, occupies 8,000 square meters. From there more than 60 commercial points are supplied. CCN and the return of reusable and recyclable materials is managed, closing the circle of an efficient and environmentally friendly operation.
“The chain begins and ends here,” explains the area manager. “The vans that supply the stores leave from here and return with the waste and materials that are then reused or recycled.”
The work doesn’t stop. With 108 employees in two shifts, the plant receives between 70 and 80 vans daily that must be unloaded in 15 minutes. Every day 1,300 wooden pallets enter, of which between 800 and 1,100 are repaired, managing to reincorporate up to 40,000 pallets into the operation monthly. In addition, 600,000 plastic baskets are processed, 5,000 are washed per shift and 32,000 kilos of cardboard and 31,989 kilos of flexible plastic are revalued. The marketing of recycled materials generates monthly income that supports the management of the center.
Pallets and baskets are the protagonists of this process. They are repaired, sanitized and returned to the production circuit or to suppliers. Baskets of unusable fruits and vegetables are melted down to create new ones, closing a cycle that avoids waste. Thanks to this management, from 2022 CCN He has not had to buy new pallets, an achievement that speaks for itself.
Responsible management also extends to organic confiscations. Since June 2025, food not suitable for sale is used as livestock feed, avoiding waste and generating additional income. The next step: implement a composting program for organic waste.
As for plastics, the commitment is total. The flexible plastic (including film and plastic bags) is compacted before being delivered to a company that carries out the recycling process, managing to use almost all of the material. Furthermore, since 2020 CCN is part of NUVI, which promotes the collection of PET bottles. In 2024, the company was positioned among the five that recycled the most bottles in the country, with 1,498 kilos recovered.
More than an operation, the installation of a unit Reverse Logistics It is a sign of conviction of the company’s commitment to the community and the environment. The manager states—; “The important thing is to do what is right for the country, beyond a possible economic benefit.”
That same spirit of reducing your footprint is reflected in other areas, such as energy CCN It has an installed solar power of 7,910 KWP and an annual production of 850,095 KWHwhile LED lighting has allowed electricity consumption to be reduced by up to 80%. In sustainable mobility, the company leads the charge in Evergo points, installed in its Jumbo stores and National Supermarkets.
But the sustainability of CCN It goes beyond the environmental. They promote and feed the local production chain through programs to support small and medium-sized producers such as De Aqui con Corazón. Additionally, raising awareness about our cultural heritage and responsible tourism with the corporate project Pride of my Earth and the multiple social programs with the communities where it operates.
Every action, every figure, every improvement speaks of a company that understands the sustainability as a living process that evolves over time. Because for CCNtaking care of the environment and generating responsible development is more than a policy: it is a way of building a country.
