Activists have detected a large amount of waste on the beaches, related to celebrations held by visitors.
The items mainly used in celebrations or parties are the ones that most pollute the beaches of Cancún, where remnants of plates, potato chip bags, bottles, and beer cans abandoned by people have been found.
Daniel Gustavo Rodríguez Lozano, president of the Snorkeling for Trash association, pointed out that after intervening on the beaches of Gaviota Azul, Delfines, Tortugas, Langosta, and San Miguelito during 2024, bottles and beer cans have represented more than 40% of all the waste removed from the beaches.
This was confirmed again yesterday during a cleaning day at Gaviota Azul beach, where out of 80 kilos of trash found in the federal zone, more than 37% were beer-related items, which are commonly found after parties.
“We cleaned from the entrance of Forum beach, from the access corridor to where the iconic rock of Cancún is located. There was a lot on the rock, people always seem to sit there to party and such, but the truth is there was generally a lot all over the beach,” he said.
Waste is generated throughout the day, but it is after three in the afternoon when most people arrive at the beaches.
“If it reaches the sea (the glass), it fills with water and becomes heavy objects that currents move, they can hit reefs, they can break marine life, and in the end, it is not where it should be. Aluminum cans degrade with saltwater, and those residues integrate into the sea,” he explained.
Rodríguez Lozano also mentioned that at least one animal has been found trapped in these materials during previous beach cleanings:
“We have a project together with the breweries (…) which is to put a kind of transfer centers on the beaches, and give a dignified place to the scavengers as part of their responsibility for the packaging.”
The interviewee clarified that the project will be presented this week, and it consists of placing separation spaces for garbage collectors on the beaches, to recover glass bottles and aluminum cans from the trash deposited in beach containers.
“We need a budget, permits, there is still a lot of work to do,” he commented.
On the other hand, for the rest of the year, it is intended to do a cleaning on the beaches of Cancún once a month.
About 20 people participated in the last cleaning by Snorkeling for Trash, including PET, single-use items, aluminum cans, glass, and cardboard.
According to information from the Federal Maritime Land Zone Directorate, during 2023, 457.28 tons of solid waste were removed from the beaches under the jurisdiction of the Benito Juárez City Council.
According to estimates by associations, more than 30% of this amount would be glass and aluminum cans.
Source: Sipse
