Tourism in the Yucatán Peninsula is thriving and has grown exponentially over the last few years, especially in the state of Quintana Roo which is famous for its underground rivers and cenotes. However, the urban infrastructure to support this growth has not developed at the same rate and this is now impacting the region’s environment and natural resources. Additionally, as most tourism businesses are small, they have less management and organisational capacity to manage waste and small islands lack final waste disposal sites. There is also very little reliable data about the size of the problem and how to protect and manage these impacts.  

Destination Zero Waste Cancun helps to tackle this issue by collecting 350.000 kg of plastic and glass, 50% of which will be recycled and 25% will be upcycled.

To help address the lack of reliable waste management data, an initial survey of different hotels and tourism businesses in the region offers a reliable baseline on solid waste generation, composition, recycling and upcycling in Cancun’s tourism sector. The   study generates new data to enable better decision-making amongst stakeholders on how to tackle the waste management issue.

The project creates Cancun's first Tourism and Circular Economy Hub, which include a Community of Practice and Learning to promote dialogue and best practices on sustainable waste management with the participation of at least 30 local businesses from Cancun and the islands of Holbox and Isla Mujeres. 15 of these tourist businesses will adopt the Less Plastic Guide and Action Plan to identify, measure, prioritise, and reduce single-use plastics. An annual Zero Waste Forum offers training sessions and conferences for local tourism businesses, in cooperation with local tourism associations.

Clean-ups also take place to improve the beach, mangrove, seabed, and cenote environments in underserved sites where materials can be recovered for recycling and upcycling. 2000 local and international tourists are expected to participate voluntarily in these initiatives through the launch of relevant communication campaigns.

Through an incubation programme, local upcycling businesses are also supported through relevant training and links to the local recycling ecosystem, including hotels, restaurants, and tour operators. Six local businesses are expected to participate in the incubation programme and 50 people will receive relevant training.