Since 2019, Mendoza has implemented Provincial Law 9143, which regulates the management of used tyres (ELT) and seeks to reduce their environmental impact
At the end of July, the Deliberative Council of Las Heras officially ratifying the local commitment to strengthen a more sustainable waste management.
The regulation bans the abandonment, burning, or open-air accumulation of tyres, except for those used in mega-mining machinery, which are exempt.
According to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of Mendoza, the exclusion of ELT from the mining sector results from the presence of internationally recognised management protocols, such as the NI43-101 standard, which incorporates specific treatment plans for this category of waste.
Although Mendoza does not currently have operational mega-mining projects, the provincial government is supporting their potential reactivation, and this exclusion indicates a regulatory gap if such ventures become active. Mining companies are required to include a tyre management plan in their Environmental Impact Declaration (DIA); if it is missing, the government requests its addition as a condition for approval.
Off-road truck tyres used in mega-mining can exceed 1,000 kilograms in weight, and their lifespan is limited to about a year. Improper disposal represents a serious environmental risk.
Provinces such as San Juan and Catamarca have begun setting up recycling plants for tires as part of their circular economy strategies. Regionally, Chile is developing an Extended Producer Responsibility Law (EPR) that covers this type of industrial waste.
The PSJ Cobre Mendocino Project (San Jorge) could begin operations by 2027, pending legislative approval and compliance with environmental requirements. However, Law 9143 does not specify management criteria for ELT from mega-mining machinery, leaving this issue unresolved.
From the environment sector, they acknowledge that “there are still no mining projects in operation, so the implementation is pending.” Meanwhile, conventional tyres are the only ones regulated by the current law, and those from the mining sector would be covered by general international regulations.
