Cancun undoubtedly faces challenges such as the accumulation of polluting plastic waste and the alarming problem of broken glass buried under the sand that cannot be seen, not to mention the foul-smelling seaweed sargassum lurking around the corner.
However, greater investment in litter control tools will prevent these issues from arising.
Cancun is no different from other well-visited areas of the world: where there are people, there will inevitably be trash. The Cancun government spent a lot of money last year to keep the beaches clean, as word got out that while the sargassum was gone, the trash on the beach was not.
The problem got so bad that some visitors even refused to pay lodging and sanitation fees because they believed the money was not being used to solve the problem.
Fortunately, the message was well heard and the government went to great lengths to clean up the beaches. The beaches were restored to first-class condition so that they could once again receive the coveted Blue Flag.
The beaches have been staffed with approximately 180 full-time employees who are responsible for maintaining the attractiveness of the beaches during the high season. The government is reintroducing its successful litter control policy to build on these successes this year.
Not surprisingly, Playa Delfines, one of the most popular beaches, produced the most trash last year. Playa Delfines, which is 500 meters long and located at the southernmost point of the hotel zone, is not only the beach most frequented by tourists, but it also accumulates a lot of garbage.
It is hoped that complaints about the condition of the beach will be kept to a minimum, as this year a large number of employees patrol the beaches and a new emphasis has been placed on beach cleanliness.
In addition to trash, sargassum will also be a problem for beaches this year. The stinky seaweed has long been a problem on Mexico’s Caribbean coast, keeping visitors away from the beaches with its unattractive appearance and disgusting stench.
It is expected that the sargassum problem is not as bad this year as it was last year and that it can be kept under control as destinations like Playa Del Carmen invest in new equipment to combat the problem.
