Cancún bans plastic bags in parks to protect environment

Cancún, Mexico — Cancún is promoting a greener approach in 2026 as part of an action plan by the Benito Juárez City Council, which has imposed a new rule on vendors at Parque de las Palapas. They will no longer be able to use single-use plastics when selling snacks and products.

Since 2025, the City Council led by Ana Paty Peralta has been working to transform the municipality to make it more environmentally friendly and promote care for our planet, starting with eliminating up to 85 percent of plastics used in parks when selling various products.

This plan will first be implemented in Parque de las Palapas, one of the city’s most emblematic parks, so street vendors will have until January 31 to change bags and all types of single-use plastics for biodegradable tools.

What happens if the new no-plastic rule in Cancún is not followed?

If any vendor does not comply with the new rule to care for the environment in Parque de las Palapas, they will be given an economic fine starting in February 2026. The amount has not yet been announced; however, it is very likely that after the deadline for using plastic passes, it will be announced through Cancún’s official government media.

Ana Paty Peralta’s main plan is to make Parque de las Palapas a reference point for environmental care, so special attention will be paid to ensuring the project’s success and, perhaps soon, making this rule a general mandate for the rest of the green areas.

What is single-use plastic?

Single-use plastics are products designed to be used at most once and then thrown away without the possibility of being reused. Among the most common ones seen in parks are bags, cups, food containers, wrappers, and straws.

All of them take centuries to degrade, which is why the use of biodegradable options has begun to be implemented throughout the country for several years, and park vendors have been given new ways to sell their products. For example, using:

• Wooden, bamboo, or bioplastic utensils
• Cardboard cups with biopolymer coating
• Edible pots or biodegradable natural fiber pots
• Craft bags
• Recycled cardboard for food packaging