The Subsecretariat of Circular Economy of the Secretary of State for Climate Change of the Government of Misiones presented the 2024 Survey of the recycling industry, continuing the study initiated in 2023.
The report offers an updated overview of the sector, with data on processed volumes, commercial destinations, and price evolution.
Three companies account for 30% of the recycling industry volume in the province
The first section of the survey takes a sample of three representative firms: Reciclados Posadas, V&A from Eldorado, and Chiply, the latter with a presence in 16 municipalities in Misiones.
These companies are dedicated to compacting and baling urban waste, including paper, cardboard, plastics, metals, and glass, and processed over 7,000 tons during 2024.
According to the undersecretary Fernando Santacruz, the report reveals a high participation of bulky metals —such as scrap metal, furniture, and end-of-life vehicles—, which responds to a different management approach compared to that applied for household waste.
Distribution of processed waste in 2024:
- 68% bulky metals
- 25% paper and cardboard
- 6% plastics
- 1% other materials
Over 850 trucks left Misiones with recyclable waste
The second part of the report, prepared in conjunction with the Tax Agency of Misiones (ATM), accounts for 854 trucks that transported recyclable waste out of the province. With an average of 28 tons per unit, it is estimated that over 24,000 tons were processed by the local industry.
At an average value of $350 per kilo, the sector would have generated an economic movement exceeding $8.5 billion during the year. To visualize it: a line of those trucks would depart from downtown Posadas and reach the Garupá stream along the southern coast.
Destinations and valorization circuits: between Misiones and other provinces
Most of the recycled waste in Misiones is destined for other provinces, where steelworks and transformation industries operate. However, there is a local valorization network that includes:
- A egg carton factory in Candelaria, which uses recycled paper and cardboard
- Three plastic recycling plants in Alem, which process urban waste
The sources of waste mainly come from urban recyclers, municipalities, and companies’ own collection systems.
Drop in prices of recyclable materials concerns the sector
The third axis of the report analyzes the annual variation in the value of waste, that is, the price paid by companies before the first processing.
According to Santacruz, a sharp drop in prices is observed, directly affecting urban recyclers, individuals, and municipalities, and causing a reduction in the volumes processed by the surveyed companies.
