Cancun Launches Plan To Become Mexico’s Top Eco-Friendly Destination: What It Means For Your Vacation

Share The Article

We at The Cancun Sun love when a big, feel-good announcement actually comes with a concrete plan behind it—and this one does. Cancún just launched an ambitious “Zero Waste Destination” program with a three-year timeline to transform how the city manages trash, plastics, and recycling across hotels, beaches, and everyday tourism touchpoints.

The effort is being led by the local hotel association (AHCPM&IM), the City of Benito Juárez, and the sustainability consultancy Sustentur, with financial backing from the international TUI Care Foundation.

So…what does “zero waste” mean for your vacation, practically?

What you’ll notice at your hotel

Expect fewer single-use plastics (think water bottles, straws, and tiny amenity containers), more refill stations, and new sorting bins for paper, glass, and plastics. Many properties will be grouped into action cohorts every six months to roll out changes and track results, so you may see hotels communicating goals and inviting guests to participate—like returning glass for reuse or bringing a refillable bottle to the pool.

You might also spot informational prompts in lobbies and elevators explaining why your room has fewer disposables or how to separate recyclables. The program is aligned with the UN Tourism Global Initiative on Tourism and Plastics, which aims to drastically cut single-use plastics at the source—good news for oceans and beaches.

Cleaner beaches, cenotes, and mangroves

Beyond hotels, the plan targets the ecosystems you came to enjoy—public beaches, cenotes, mangroves, and seabeds—with recurring cleanup days and stronger waste-collection logistics.

The city says Cancún generates roughly 1,500 tons of garbage daily, so the playbook combines prevention (less waste created) and remediation (faster, smarter cleanup). And yes, visitors will be invited to join some of those cleanup events.

If you’re a beach-day person, this dovetails with Cancún’s ongoing push for quality and safety. Our beach flag guide breaks down the daily swim flags, while Cancún’s expanding collection of Blue Flag-recognized beaches means cleaner water, better services, and stronger environmental management behind the scenes.

Will this change what you pay?

Part of the funding comes from the local Environmental Sanitation (tourist) tax that appears on hotel bills.

Rates have been updated several times since launch; for example, a June 2025 notice lists 79.20 MXN (about $4.50) per room, per night at one major hotel group, with funds earmarked for municipal environmental programs.

Your exact amount may vary by property and date, but the big picture is that more of this money is being tied to measurable projects like waste reduction and ecosystem restoration. Check your hotel’s confirmation for the current rate.

How travelers can plug in (without sacrificing the fun)

• Bring a reusable bottle and use resort refill points; many properties now make this easy.
• Sort where you can. If your hotel provides separate bins, use them—glass and plastics are priority materials for reuse and upcycling.
• Choose Blue Flag beaches for top-tier environmental management—and still follow the day’s warning flag before you swim. We keep our guide updated so you know exactly what each color means. Learn the flags here.
• Join a cleanup. Ask your hotel concierge about scheduled beach or lagoon cleanups during your stay; these are slated to roll out more frequently under the new plan.

Why this matters for 2025–2026 travel

Cancún’s zero-waste push isn’t just a PR line—it’s a structured, multi-year plan with hotel cohorts, public-private funding, and ecosystem targets.

That means the benefits should compound over time: clearer water after storms, less plastic litter on the sand, and a more resilient destination that stays beautiful—and swimmable—through the high season. If you’ve followed our recent coverage of Blue Flag milestones, this initiative is the “back-of-house” upgrade that helps keep those awards coming.

The bottom line

Cancún just set a high bar: become Mexico’s first zero-waste tourist destination within three years, working hand-in-hand with hotels, the municipality, and international partners.

For travelers, it means smarter hotels, cleaner beaches and cenotes, and easy ways to pitch in without giving up vacation vibes. We’ll keep tracking the rollout—and how it shows up during your stay—right here at The Cancun Sun.