The year-end festivities in Playa del Carmen, located in the municipality of Solidaridad, led to a 34% increase in garbage generation compared to ordinary days. Julieta Martín Azueta, Secretary of Municipal Public Services, reported that more than 900 tons of waste were collected during this period, whereas the usual daily collection is around 600 tons.
“Normally, we collect around 600 tons per day, but during the Christmas celebration, the figure increased to over 800 tons, and for the end-of-year festivities, it rose to more than 900 tons,” said Martín Azueta. This increase is notable, as just a couple of years ago, the rise in waste during Christmas and New Year barely reached 800 tons.
The tourist area of Playa del Carmen saw the greatest accumulation of waste, with thousands of people gathering to celebrate the New Year. The Villas del Sol area also experienced significant waste accumulation, with festivities continuing until the afternoon of January 1.
“On the first day of the year, we began collection and cleaning work at 5 a.m. and finished by noon, leaving Quinta Avenida clean, where thousands of locals and visitors had gathered. However, there were some establishments where staff did not take out the trash on time, but the percentage was minimal,” Martín Azueta added.
Gradually, garbage collection activities in various areas of Playa del Carmen have returned to normal. This weekend, the first of the year, most areas of the city are clean, although there was still some waste from the festivities a few days ago.
The official announced that in the coming days, a campaign will be launched to publicize garbage collection schedules. She urged the population to pay attention to these notices and follow them to maintain a cleaner city free of urban pollution.
Source: Sipse
