Montevideo's Felipe Cardoso landfill to operate until at least 2055 with planned expansions

Montevideo's sole landfill, Felipe Cardoso, is set to operate until at least 2055 thanks to planned expansions by the Intendencia de Montevideo (IMM). The site, located in the northeast of the capital, currently receives approximately 122,000 tons of waste each month. Over the past decade, the volume of trash handled by Felipe Cardoso has surged by 20%.

The IMM's current administration, led by Mario Bergara, is proceeding with further expansions to ensure the landfill's functionality for the next three decades. Works have already been completed to expand modules 6 and 7, which are expected to accommodate waste until 2030-2031. To extend capacity further, a module 9 is planned, aiming to secure operations until at least 2055.

Historically, the use of Felipe Cardoso has been a subject of debate among Montevideo's administrations. In the 2000s, under Mayor Ricardo Ehrlich, there was an initiative to construct a metropolitan landfill in Cañada Grande (Canelones) to serve Montevideo, Canelones, and San José. Ehrlich stated that Felipe Cardoso would only be used temporarily until the new facility was operational. However, this project ultimately failed.

Later, in 2017, Fernando Puntigliano, then director of Environmental Development, estimated that the existing facility, module 8, had only two years of life left, though he noted that special compaction methods could extend its usability slightly beyond 2024. Despite these earlier considerations for new sites, subsequent administrations, including the current one, have opted to continue expanding Felipe Cardoso, making it the long-term solution for the capital's waste management.