Mendoza advances in the elimination of open-air dumps: the provincial Government drafted the regulatory decree of the GIRSU Law and awaits the signature of Governor Alfredo Cornejo.
The Law 9.659 on Comprehensive Management of Urban Solid Waste was enacted in October 2025. The regulation mandates the treatment of specific and industrial waste throughout the provincial territory.
The regulatory decree was drafted together with the 18 municipalities of Mendoza. The consultation phase concluded last week and the document is now ready to be signed.
What the law establishes to eliminate open-air dumps in Argentina
The regulation incorporates a series of technical annexes that define procedures not developed in the original law. Among the most relevant points are:
- The provincial plan for waste management
- The municipal plans, developed from a territorial diagnosis
- The standards for the remediation of dumps
- The unified registry of colors for classification
- The criteria for transfer stations
Carla Ortega, Sustainability Coordinator of the Ministry of Energy and Environment, highlighted that “the waste management is a municipal responsibility and it was important to be able to work on the regulation together with the municipalities.”
“The municipalities cleared their doubts and made considerations to draft the regulatory decree. The law already sets certain obligations and the decree comes to define some procedures,” explained the official.
Regarding the open-air dumps, Ortega clarified that their eradication in Mendoza “is impossible to achieve overnight.” Therefore, the plan establishes priorities and progresses in stages.
Fines of up to $500 million
The law imposes economic sanctions on those who violate the regulations. Fines range from one thousand to one million Fiscal Units, equivalent to a range of $500,000 to $500 million, according to the value in force for 2026.
In addition to fines, the regulation allows for other sanctioning measures such as suspension of activities from one month to one year, permanent cessation of operations, and confiscation of machinery or vehicles used in the violation.
The regulation also considers compensations that can commute the infractions, even in the form of supplies and machinery.
The central focus of the initiative, according to the Ministry, is the elimination of open-air dumps in Mendoza, along with source separation, differentiated collection, and the incorporation of urban recyclers into the process.
