As 2025 draws to a close, we reflect on a year of innovation, collaboration and progress toward our mission of environmental protection through advanced geosynthetics. From our team’s hard work to real-world projects and insightful thought leadership, the year has reinforced why quality and sustainability lie at the heart of everything we do. In this issue, we highlight key achievements – from landmark projects to cutting-edge product advances – that help our clients and communities build a cleaner, safer future.

Strengthening Global Reach and Client Partnerships

2025 also marked a year of strong commercial momentum. Atarfil expanded its footprint across North America and the Middle East, where large-scale industrial and infrastructure projects increasingly rely on high-performance geomembrane solutions. From mining containment to public environmental works, our teams delivered trusted systems that safeguard land, water, and communities.

Behind every project was a commitment to rapid response and global reliability. We improved logistics efficiency across our manufacturing centres, allowing faster product delivery without compromising quality. These gains translated into reduced lead times for clients operating under pressure, helping them keep projects on track and compliant.

Atarfil also invested in technical collaboration. In 2025, our field and engineering teams supported more on-site visits, liner installations and customer training workshops than ever before. Whether on remote slopes or industrial sites, we partnered directly with clients to ensure every solution was built for long-term durability and environmental assurance.

Project Highlights

• • Zamora Wastewater Treatment (Mexico): Atarfil supplied high-performance geomembranes for the new Zamora wastewater plant in Michoacán, Mexico. This treatment facility – part of a major “Duero River Sanitation” project – will serve Zamora and neighboring municipalities, treating sewage before it enters the Rio Duero. By ensuring a secure liner system for up to 20 years, the project significantly improves wastewater management and protects the local environment.

• • Sustainability Initiatives: We continued to turn sustainability into action. One example is our circular‑economy tree protector. In 2025 Atarfil launched a rugged new tree-protection sleeve made from recycled polypropylene offcuts. These protectors help young olive, almond and vine saplings survive environmental stress while reusing materials that would otherwise be waste. To date this initiative has shielded over 10,000 plants, reducing industrial waste and giving farmers a durable, eco‑friendly alternative to traditional cardboard or plastic tubes. (See “Agricultural protectors: Sustainability and the circular economy” in our internal newsletter.)

Product Innovations

• • Raising the Bar on Performance: In our flagship blog “Raising the Bar: Why Atarfil ‘HD’ Redefines the GM13 Standard”, we explain how our base HDPE geomembrane exceeds industry minimums. Unlike products that merely meet the outdated GM13 spec, Atarfil HD is engineered with premium resin and antioxidants to deliver much higher Oxidation Induction Times (OIT/HPOIT) and Stress-Crack Resistance (SCR). In practice this means longer design life and a wider safety margin on every project. (See blog: “Raising the Bar: Why Atarfil ‘HD’ Redefines the GM13 Standard for HDPE Liners”.)

• • Advanced Containment Liners: We’re also pushing beyond GM13 into new realms of chemical resistance. This year we introduced our EVO AC (Acid‑Resistant) and EVO AR (Alkaline‑Resistant) HDPE geomembranes, specifically designed for extremely aggressive environments. These products undergo rigorous chemical immersion testing (sulfuric acid, high-pH brines, etc.) to ensure they retain their antioxidant protection in real-world conditions. By setting a higher standard for containment in mining, waste and other high‑risk applications, Atarfil ensures our clients have confidence in permanent solutions.

• • Innovative Sustainability Products: Our commitment to innovation also brought new offerings in 2025. Beyond tree protectors, we continued developing geosynthetic products that aid sustainability. For example, Atarfil’s new structured-textured liners provide extra shear stability on steep slopes without sacrificing long-term durability. Every new product – from advanced liners to eco‑friendly protectors – reflects our mission to combine performance with environmental stewardship.

The New GM42 Standard – Progress, Not the Finish Line

The upcoming GRI-GM42 standard represents a welcome advancement in geomembrane qualification, introducing more rigorous performance criteria such as Stress-Crack Resistance (SCR), and enhanced durability testing under simulated exposure. Atarfil is already preparing to be the first manufacturer globally ready to comply with GM42, ensuring our bimodal HDPE geomembranes meet and exceed the new benchmark through early adoption and independent verification. However, we also recognise that GM42 is not the end of the journey. While it strengthens mechanical durability, it does not eliminate the need for chemical immersion testing in every project, as materials can still meet GM42 without genuine innovation in antioxidant systems.

Atarfil’s philosophy goes further—our geomembranes are engineered with proprietary resin formulations and tailored antioxidant packages that maintain stability even in extreme chemical and thermal environments. This approach ensures proven durability beyond compliance, making GM42-ready materials particularly suited to mining, industrial wastewater, hazardous waste, and long-term tailings containment. By combining compliance with true chemical resilience, Atarfil continues to lead in developing liners that perform where others fail. Check out the very recently updated GM42 specification (~November 2025) here: https://geosynthetic-institute.org/grispecs/gm42.pdf

Check out the very recently updated GM42 specification (~November 2025) here: https://geosynthetic-institute.org/grispecs/gm42.pdf

Technical Leadership

Atarfil’s technical leadership shone through our 2025 publications. We tackled complex challenges and shared key insights with the engineering community:

• • Site-Specific Design: In “Not All Leachates Are Equal: Why Mining Demands Chemically-Tailored Geomembranes,” we highlighted that mining solutions can be far more aggressive than typical landfill leachates. Extremely low pH and high metal or solvent concentrations in mines can rapidly deplete stabilisers. The article stresses that liner chemistry must match site chemistry – a one-size-fits-all standard (like GM13 alone) is not enough. This drive toward “fit-for-exposure” design (not just fit-for-spec) is at the heart of our EVO development program.

• • Leak Rates & Longevity: Our deep-dive on leak rates (“Achieving Environmental Safety and Longevity”) reminded designers that integrity is non-negotiable. We explained how liners degrade (by oxidation, UV, chemistry, etc.) and why high-quality materials with extended warranties are essential. The post advocates context-sensitive leak thresholds and double-liner systems for real leak detection. In short, “minimum spec” HDPE (10-year warranty) is a gamble – by exceeding GM13 and aiming for 20+ year performance, we substantially lower long-term leak risks.

• • Material Composition: We also spotlighted material science details. In “Carbon Black in HDPE: Getting the Balance Right,” we showed that adding UV black pigment is a balance – too much carbon black can squeeze out needed antioxidants, leading to brittle, crack-prone liners. We explain how Atarfil controls carbon-black content (staying below 2.5%) to optimise real-world durability. And in “The Reflective Advantage: White vs Black HDPE,” we demonstrated that using white geomembrane can slash surface temperatures by ~20°C compared to black. Cooler liner surfaces mean safer, easier installations (less heat stress on crews, fewer wrinkles) and slower polymer ageing.

• • Advanced Testing & Standards: Finally, we led discussions on evolving standards. Our blog on “Evolving Beyond GRI GM13” laid out the case for AC/AR liners and introduced Atarfil’s stringent chemical immersion tests. On the internal front, our teams engaged with the emerging GRI GM-42 specification for extreme environments. As reported in our internal newsletter, Atarfil is actively confirming new test methods and advising on how GM42 (focused on Stress-Crack Resistance and new strain-hardening measures) will influence design of future geomembranes.

• For access to our technical blogs, head to https://www.atarfil.com/en/blog/ or subscribe to the Atarfil Technical LinkedIn Newsletter now for live updates as they are posted.

Collectively, these insights underscore Atarfil’s role as a thought leader. By marrying rigorous R&D with field expertise, we help clients design durable, sustainable containment systems worldwide.

People at the Core

Our people made 2025 remarkable. We celebrated diverse talents and invested in our team:

• • Team Training – ATARLAB: We launched ATARLAB, an internal education program to deepen everyone’s product knowledge. ATARLAB was created to close knowledge gaps about our geomembranes and build stronger customer support. Open to all employees (though initiated for our sales team), ATARLAB combines virtual classes, hands-on product sessions and even soft‑skills development. This ongoing initiative is designed as an annual cycle of learning – we look forward to many more cohorts of empowered colleagues.

• • Employee Spotlights: Our quarterly newsletter shone a light on individuals making a difference. For example, we profiled Houda Moussaoui, Sales Coordinator in our Middle East office. Houda, with her background in economics and international experience, exemplifies our values: she says Atarfil to her means “environmental protection”, not just as a slogan but as her personal conviction. Stories like Houda’s remind us that on every project – from R&D to onsite delivery – our people’s passion drives real impact.

• • Global Collaboration: Across all regions, teams worked together on everything from installation best practices to new product trials. We honoured “Your Voice”: in internal surveys and meetings, staff ideas on quality and sustainability continually shaped our direction. This inclusive culture – listening to every engineer, technician and specialist – ensures that Atarfil grows stronger, smarter and more united each year.

Looking Ahead with Optimism

As we close 2025, we give thanks to our clients, partners and employees for their trust and teamwork. We remain committed to pushing the envelope in 2025 – raising standards, reducing environmental impact and delivering innovative geosynthetic solutions. The challenges are great, but so is our resolve. Together, we will continue building a cleaner, safer world, one liner at a time.

Thank you for being part of Atarfil’s journey. Here’s to a bright and sustainable 2026!