General Roca has operated the Alto Valle's oldest integrated waste system for over two decades. Two plants receive about 50,000 tonnes annually: 30,000 wet and 20,000 dry, across 30 hectares with roughly 14 used for final-disposal cells.
The municipality took over household treatment in 2000, opened a new disposal centre in 2012 and another facility in 2015. Plants I and II combine unloading, sorting, recovery and sanitary landfill.
The General Roca Recycling Cooperative marketed 544 tonnes in 2025, up from 445 in 2024, but only 2.7% of annual dry waste. Cardboard provided 284 tonnes and glass 125, alongside paper, plastics and metals.
About 50 people recover materials informally in Plant I cells without measurement. Excluding them understates recovery and preserves risk; integration requires a census, agreement, protective equipment, safe access and transparent pay.
The formal circuit has 32 municipal and 15 cooperative workers, 31 drop-off points and commercial-centre collection. Environmental education reached 7,440 students, and 100 people studied electronic-waste recovery.
Marketed tonnes vary with prices and demand and do not equal all separated material. Inputs, rejects, stock, sales, destinations, value and organic recovery must be published.
The next step is annual targets, source separation, stable collection, traceability and composting, plus a baseline for landfill life gained and avoided costs without erasing cell workers.
