|
 Recycling in Playa del Carmen- How are we doing in 2008?
By Michele Kinnon
Over
the past four years, I have seen the concept of recycling evolve from a
"silly notion" promoted only by a bunch of "gringos" to a full on
Cultural Revolution. Rarely a day goes by that I don't receive an email
from someone, Ex-pat or Mexican National, reminding me about a
recycling drive or a newly established drop-off area. When we arrived
here in 2004, the only "recycling" available to us was saving cans for
our babysitter, Lydia, to sell and turning in our cases of empty Sol and Dos Equis
bottles for fresh, cold, full ones. Many people, when they first move
here, are shocked and disgusted with the amount of waste and refuse
that can be found littering any unclaimed sliver of property.
Since
we moved to Mexico, I have heard more than a few "interesting"
hypothesis about why the Mexicans "appear" to care so little for their
environment and the beauty of their city and its beaches. Many of
these conclusions come from folks whose knowledge of this area and its
history is limited. Others, suggesting that Mexicans are simply too
lazy to clean up after themselves or too dirty to notice the
difference, are based in nothing more than ignorance and racism.
I, of course, have my own theory. Let's turn back the clock about 60 years: In
"Anytown", USA convenience products were making a big splash in the
households of everyday Americans. Packaged, processed affordable meals
made cooking a snap and new fangled cleaning products promised to shave
hours off of the back-breaking, mind-numbing daily activities of the
average homemaker. The explosive popularity of television in the home
made attractive packaging for all these new products as important as
the product itself. The economy was strong. Consumption was high. The
"American Dream" was being lived to its fullest and advertised nightly
in every living room across the country! Any resulting waste was picked
up and removed systematically by well organized public or private waste
management companies. Once the garbage left the curb, little thought
was given to its destination by Mr. and Mrs. Homeowner.
 In
contrast, 60 years ago, the city of Playa del Carmen was a mere speck
on the map of the world. A small wooden dock servicing a few families
of fishermen and the chicle farmers, generally ex-convicts
banished to the jungle and the scourge of the region. Small coconut
plantations dotted the coast and milpa farmers worked the interior, providing the food staple, masa,
for their villages. The region was dangerous and sparsely populated.
People worked the land, raised livestock and were completely self
sufficient. The master-plan that would become Cancun was not even a
glimmer in the eyes of FONATUR
Quintana Roo would not be recognized as a sovereign state in Mexico
until 1974! As a point of reference, Alaska became the 49th United
State in 1959. With so few inhabitants spread out across such a large
area, their impact on the environment was minimal. The only waste
created was all naturally biodegradable. All meals were prepared,
cooked and served using hand-made earthenware vessels and large leaves
from indigenous fruit trees. Leaves and peels were tossed into the
jungle where they broke down and enriched the soil. When the beauty and
value of the Riviera Maya was finally realized by the outside world,
change came swiftly and with little or no regard for the people who had
called the jungle home for centuries. Development and tourism brought
demand for modern products and "first world" conveniences. Local
villages now had corner stores which sold new and fascinating foods and
beverages as soon as they became available. In their excitement to try
each and every strange delicacy that made it to the shelves of the
local tiendita, people gave little thought to the bits of
pretty colored paper and plastic these treats were wrapped in. And so,
as were thousands of years worth of banana peels and leaves before
them, they were tossed to the ground.
 But
we are making changes and we are seeing results. In 2006, Ana Garcia, a
young mother, originally from Mexico City, started a
grassroots organization called Biostandard: its mission, to give real
meaning to the words "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" in her new home, Playa
del Carmen. Her company and her ideas drew a lot of attention and
support, particularly from other young like-minded women living in this
area. Soon, the Biostandard founder and her enthusiastic team were
organizing seminars in the local schools, teaching students and parents
alike how to reduce the amount of waste we all create and in doing so
live healthier lives. Biostandard provided recycled, biodegradable
plastic products (plates, forks, spoons, take-out containers) to some
of the most prominent area businesses such as Grupo Xcaret and Dolphin
Discovery. They also distributed a line of biodegradable household
cleaning products to reduce our daily exposure to chemicals that damage
our environment and may cause health concerns in the future. Ana now
works with a similar organization MAREMEX that
evaluates the waste generated by local businesses, organizations,
schools, hotels and even families, then, designs and implements
recycling programs tailored specifically to the needs of those
particular groups.
 In
2007, recycling and local supporters in the Riviera Maya got a real
boost from the Environment Agency of Solidaridad (EAS). In coordination
with environmental NGOs
, private enterprises and concerned citizens, an enormous collection of
recyclable items was organized to benefit of the communities of Playa
del Carmen, Akumal and Tulum. All the cardboard collected that day was
donated to the National Commission of Free Textbooks for the production
of free textbooks and educational materials. Local residents were
offered various workshops on creating handcrafts and toys from
recyclable waste as well as instruction on how to conserve local
resources and reduce waste in their everyday lives. At this time, the
EAS announced a groundbreaking initiative, the Municipal Waste
Separation Program. By installing "Clean Spots" in readily accessible
public areas throughout the city of Playa del Carmen, residents would
now be able to easily leave their clean, sorted recyclable waste, thus
reducing the amount of trash in the streets and in our municipal
landfill.
 Now,
many of the schools run their own independent recycling programs,
supervised by the parents and teachers but staffed by the students. The
new Parque la Ceiba ,
just west of 307 and south of Juarez, has its own internal recycling
center, collecting not only what has been discarded in the well-marked
modern bins strategically placed around the park but also recyclable
items brought in from outside individuals. Many homeowners who offer
their villas and condos to vacation renters have set up basic in house
recycling facilities for their guests' use and at least one of the
major resort chains, RIU, is making strides to reduce the amount of
waste generated on their sites, recycle what they can and encourage
guests to conserve water and electricity whenever possible. Why, one of
Playa del Carmen's hippest, chicest hotels, Basico , is decorated almost entirely with recycled and reused items and materials!
It's
not just the big cities and mega-resorts jumping on the recycling
bandwagon. In more remote parts of the Riviera Maya, the idea of
recycling seems to be making progress as well. Take a drive down the
Tulum beach road and near the entrances to many of the small hotels and
private beach homes, you will see small, often handmade, labeled
containers where items to be recycled are sorted and left for
collection. With wind and solar power the dominant sources of energy to
these beach properties, it comes as no surprise that local residents
and business owners have made the preservation of their environment as a top priority. Tulum inaugurated its own Centro de Acopio
(Recycling Center) in July of 2007 in response to the growing needs of a small town exploding into a city.
 The Centro Ecologico Akumal
(CEA) is at the forefront of recycling efforts in the popular seaside
town, Akumal, and its pueblo. Attractive, clearly labeled bins have
been set up in the village, west of 307, and there is a serviceable
recycling station for general use just past the parking area for the
main bay. It's not too pretty and looks like it could use a bit more
TLC but it is there and has been well used for as long as I can
remember. Residents and frequent visitors to Akumal are among the most
environmentally concerned and conscientious in all of the Riviera Maya.
Recycling, proper waste disposal and the preservation of the reef, the
beaches and the wetlands is, and always has been, a top priority here.
 In
Puerto Morelos, as early as 1993, in response to growing concerns about
the quality of the ground water and the health of the community, an
aggressive campaign was begun in this town, just south of Cancun. The Puerto Morelos Composting Toilet Project
was initiated and implemented with varying degrees of success and
acceptance in this tiny fishing village poised just beyond the shadows
of Cancun's towering hotels and skyscraping condos. Although initially
met with resistance, these toilets are now commonly used throughout the
region and have significantly reduced the amount of human waste making
its way into the precious potable groundwater. The delicate mangrove
that surrounds the town has been and continues to be the focus of great
concern, having been ravaged by hurricanes and destroyed by
unscrupulous developers.
60
years ago, in "Anytown", USA, were we any more environmentally aware?
What kind of recycling programs were in place in "Anytown" USA in the
1950s? What plans did our parents have in place for preserving
the earth their children would inherit? What measure of success shall
we hold their conservation efforts to?
 Here
we are, about half way through 2008 in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, trying
to see how OUR efforts measure up. If you consider
how abruptly development has come and how quickly the residents of the
area have adapted and accepted the need for lifestyle changes, I think
we are doing quite well. I think the progress that has been made in
awareness and conservation of the environment is laudable but we still
have a long way to go. Too often still, the promise of profit wins out
over environmental concerns. Certainly education is the key and the
programs and seminars held regularly in local schools help to ensure
that future generations recognize the need and possess the skills to
preserve this beautiful area. Still, the struggle against what is
"easy" and what is "right" will always be played out as it is
everywhere in the world. "Clean Spots", municipal recycling stations on
the street corners and organized recycling drives
are making recycling much more convenient for locals and tourists to
properly dispose of items rather than have them left on the beach or
tossed in the street. Now provided with information and the proper
tools, the people of this region are grasping the concept of recycling
whole-heartedly. Community driven programs to preserve and improve
green spaces in the city are underway and gaining governmental support.
I have even seen signs promoting home composting programs in the small
town of Filipe Carrillo Puerto 1 hour south of Tulum!
So,
yes, conservation, preservation and recycling are high priorities for
the residents of this region. With well-regulated controls on
commercial development, continued education for those people living in
more remote areas of Quintana Roo, the support of private and
governmental entities and the cooperation of everyone in the community,
the Riviera Maya will continue to be a beautiful place to live and
visit for many generations to come. For information on regional
recycling programs and conservation efforts, follow the links provided
above and see how you too can make a difference.
Article and photos courtesy of Michele Kinnon. Michele is a Playa del Carmen resident, and lives here with her family and works as a Real Esate Agent. For further information you can visit her website at: www.buyplaya.com or check out her blog at: www.lifesabeachlog.com
Copyright 2007. All Rights Reserved.  |
Show/Hide comment form