On the initiative of Mayor Francisco Azcué, the Executive Department submitted to the Deliberative Council a draft Ordinance to establish a Special Commercialization Regime for recyclable materials recovered at the Campo del Abasto plant. The project seeks to organize and provide transparency to the sales of cardboard, plastic, paper, glass, and scrap metal, ensure that the income has a defined destination, and strengthen the operation of the plant.
The Municipality of Concordia continues working on strengthening the Campo del Abasto, with a policy that seeks to improve the working conditions of the recyclers, optimize the operation of the plant, and deepen environmental care. In this framework, the Executive Department submitted to the Deliberative Council a draft ordinance to establish a Special Commercialization Regime for the recyclable materials recovered at the site.
The initiative aims to organize and provide transparency to the commercialization of cardboard, plastic, paper, glass, and scrap metal, ensuring that the generated income has a concrete destination: to strengthen the training and labor inclusion program for recyclers and to reinvest in the maintenance and improvements of the plant itself.
The realization of this project is the result of joint work between different municipal areas and workers' representatives, in which the commercialization mechanisms, the distribution of resources, working conditions, and alternatives to advance towards an eventual cooperative organization were addressed.
MORE BENEFITS FOR WORKERS AND RESOURCES TO IMPROVE THE PLANT
One of the central aspects of the project is that it establishes that the money effectively collected from the sale of the materials will be distributed in equal parts.
50% will be allocated to complement the financing of the Training Program for Work in Integrated Management of Urban Solid Waste, which supports the training and inclusion of recyclers. The remaining 50% will be used for the maintenance of the plant, the acquisition of equipment, repairs, infrastructure improvements, and safety elements.
It also provides for institutional support for those who voluntarily decide to advance in the formation of a cooperative, respecting the decision of each worker and without establishing the association as an obligation.
TRANSPARENT COMMERCIALIZATION AND MUNICIPAL CONTROL
The proposed regime will be in effect for 24 months and will allow for the commercialization of recovered materials through a simplified competitive procedure, with clear rules and control mechanisms.
The project is based on Article 99, subsection 1, paragraph a), of Provincial Law 10.027, which empowers the Deliberative Council to authorize direct sales for reasons of public utility or general welfare with the vote of two-thirds of all its members. Likewise, it is articulated with the legislation in force regarding integrated waste management and with the environmental emergency declared through Ordinance 38.785.
The Municipality will retain the management and control of the entire circuit: the administration of the plant, weighing, selection of buyers, invoicing, and collection. Furthermore, any private commercialization of the materials will be prohibited.
The organization of commercialization will allow for greater continuity in the output of recovered materials, avoid accumulations within the site, and take advantage of resources that, otherwise, could end up as waste destined for final disposal.
This contributes to reducing environmental risks, including the possibility of fires, decreasing rejections, and strengthening the operation of a fundamental space for the integrated management of urban solid waste in Concordia.
In that sense, Mayor Francisco Azcué highlighted: “We are working to improve the conditions in which the workers carry out their tasks. We want a plant that works better, where recyclers have more tools, better safety conditions, and training opportunities. We also need the materials that are recovered to be commercialized in an orderly and transparent manner.”
The Mayor added: “Every peso generated must return to the plant and the workers. We are talking about a fundamental environmental service for Concordia and an activity that involves many families. We have the responsibility to strengthen it and manage it with transparency.”
THE MUNICIPALITY ADVANCES WITH REPAIRS AND IMPROVEMENTS AT THE ABASTO
The draft ordinance is part of a broader effort that the Municipality has been developing to recover the infrastructure and improve the operational capacity of the Campo del Abasto.
During November, the baling conveyor and the recyclable materials lifting conveyor, including their pushers, were repaired. The trommel was also put back into operation, rollers and bearings were placed in the fine line, and cleaning and lubrication tasks were performed on the gearboxes. In parallel, clothing and protective equipment were delivered to the workers.
During October, the continuous, manual, and can presses were repaired; the engines and the generator set were checked; the scale was reinforced; gates, drains, and the sewage network were repaired; and improvements were made to the internal streets of the site.
In this way, the Municipality advances with different actions that have the same objective: to recover the Campo del Abasto, improve working conditions, strengthen waste management, and reduce the environmental impact of the activity.