The Fortín de Piedra initiative that’s transforming waste management
More than a year after the waste sorting center began operating in Vaca Muerta, 60% of the municipal solid waste it receives is now recovered for reuse or recycling. The volume handled by the facility has tripled, enhancing both its environmental and community impact.
Tecpetrol opened a waste sorting center at Fortín de Piedra, in Neuquén province, in March 2025, as part of its efforts to improve waste recovery and reduce the environmental impact of its operations. The facility recovers 60% of the municipal solid waste generated across the site, including plastics, packaging, nylon bags, and organic waste. “We’re managing to recover a large amount of material for reuse and recycling, giving it a second life instead of sending it to landfill,” says Alejandro Leiva, Environmental Lead Supervisor.
Aerial view of the recycling facility in Fortín de Piedra.-
Teamwork and better sorting at the source
According to Leiva, the initiative depends on everyone playing their part. “Two people from a contractor work full-time at the sorting center. Our Environment team manages the day-to-day operation and looks for ways to improve it, while employees across the site help by sorting their waste correctly before it reaches us.”
Sorting waste at the source saves time and makes the recovery process more efficient. Regular training sessions have helped reinforce the practice, with clear results: between March 2025 and June 2026, the proportion of waste correctly separated across Fortín de Piedra rose from 11.4% to 62%.
Bags are carefully labeled before being sent to the appropriate destination.-
Héctor Rolando Pantoja, Environmental Lead Supervisor, stresses the importance of showing people what happens after they separate their waste. “We don’t just explain how waste should be sorted. We also show people why it matters. Many assume that separating waste is pointless because everything ends up in the same landfill anyway. When we show them what we actually do with the material and the results we’re achieving, they understand the difference and are much more willing to get involved.”
Metrics that show the project’s impact
From the launch of the facility through June 2026, the volume of waste sent for processing rose from 1,039 kilograms to more than 3,255 kilograms per month. Most of this is dry waste, with smaller volumes of wet, non-recyclable, and metal waste. Once sorted and processed, recoverable materials are sent for recycling or reuse, organic waste is turned into compost, and only the remaining non-recoverable fraction is sent for final disposal. Over the same period, the volume recovered or diverted from disposal increased from 573 to nearly 3,000 kilograms per month.
“We’re managing to recover a large amount of material for reuse and recycling, giving it a second life instead of sending it to landfill,” said Alejandro Leiva.
Cardboard is compacted and baled for shipment to a company that recycles or reuses it.-
Community impact and expansion to other sites
Paula Piccinini, Environmental Coordinator, highlights the importance of building partnerships with communities, local ventures, and companies that can find new uses for the materials leaving the site, helping to strengthen the circular economy:
• Local communities: An Indigenous community in Rincón de los Sauces used recovered plastic bottles to build partitions for animal pens.
• Recycling industry: Materials including film, nylon, plastic bottles, shredded tray lids, and disposable bags are sent to a specialized recycling facility for further processing.
• Organic waste and recovered materials: Compost produced at the facility is used to enrich the soil, while recovered wood is made available to local landowners for reuse.
The project’s results have already led to plans for a similar initiative at the Los Toldos II Este site, where implementation is now underway.