Whether it’s sargassum or beach trash, the cleanup seems to never end. We reported last week that garbage replaced sargassum as one of the main concerns on Cancun beaches this month. And from the looks of it, local groups are already doing some of that work.
Over the weekend, Quintana Roo civil associations, in cooperation with the Municipal Youth Institute, performed the biggest cleanup project this month, picking up trash in an over 300-yard-long strip on Cancun’s Malecon Tajamar.
Located a little south of Cancun’s Hotel Zone, the city’s Malecon Tajamar is a scenic spot in town that overlooks the Nichupté lagoon. Tourists will walk along the boardwalk for sunset and use the running and cycling paths during the day, enjoying the views of the lagoon, palm trees, and cityscape.
The Cleanup Team Covered An Area Of Over 50,00 Square Feet
According to local reports, the general director of the Municipal Youth Institute, Danielle Camargo Dávila, stated that the cleanup team – which comprised mostly of young people under the age of 30 – covered an area of over 50,000 square feet at the site.
Together, almost 450 pounds of trash was removed from the area, including items such as plastic, Styrofoam, glass, paper, and cardboard, as well as many non-recyclable items. Items were all separated by type in order to go through their appropriate recycling process.
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Not only is the Cancun Malecon a popular leisure and natural attraction, but it’s also an ideal spot to house local commercial activities. And because of its close proximity to the mangrove, cleaning up in this area is vital to help protect nearby natural resources.
Following the cleanup, Dávila stated that “The idea of this cleaning is also to recover the space so that bazaars are placed for young entrepreneurs, recreational and exercise activities are carried out.”
Cleanups Yet To Fix The Root Of The Problem
Garbage collection work in the area is routinely organized in collaboration with the local Directorate of Public Services as well as staff from FONATUR, the National Fund for the Promotion of Tourism.
Despite all of the cleanup work, local news reports have stated that this work has yet to tackle the root of the problem to eliminate contamination in a more effective way.
Because Cancun’s sargassum problem is a hot-button issue, especially over the past year, some major hotel chains in the Riviera Maya have been working to find permanent solutions to the problem, but no answer has been found yet.
Trash Pickups Don’t End At Cancun Beaches
News reports such as this reveal that trash concerns and pickups in the region aren’t limited to Cancun’s Hotel Zone or other nearby beach destinations for tourists.
While it continues to be a pressing issue to keep the local beaches pristine-looking in order to attract millions of tourists every year to Cancun and the Riviera Maya, the work to fix this issue is no doubt a complex one for the tourist-heavy state of Quintana Roo.
For instance, Mexico’s Directorate of Federal Maritime Terrestrial Zones recently revealed that approximately 35 tonnes of solid garbage accumulated on some of Cancun’s top beaches. This undoubtedly compromises the reputation of these areas, where tourists come to unwind and admire the natural beauty of the area.
With cruises and other tourist activities back in full swing, not to mention the record-breaking number of tourists to Cancun in 2022 (and it looks like numbers will continue to rise for the high season), it looks like waste accumulation and collection will be one of the major concerns for this region.
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