Trade Trash for Food in Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — The government of Quintana Roo, led by Governor Mara Lezama, has launched Recicla por tu Futuro 2025 (Recycle for Your Future 2025), a social program that allows residents to exchange recyclable waste for free groceries. The initiative aims to promote environmental sustainability while providing essential food supplies to families in need.

Promoting Waste Management and Community Support

The program encourages the secondary separation of solid waste that can be recovered, reused, or recycled. By incentivizing waste collection, authorities seek to foster environmental protection and reduce landfill dependency. Participants can trade materials such as PET, HDPE, aluminum cans, paper, cardboard, and laminated cardboard for pre-packaged food baskets.

Upcoming Exchange Event in Playa del Carmen

The next waste-for-groceries exchange will take place on Friday, July 11, at the CROC Sports Dome in Playa del Carmen. The event will run from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., accepting aluminum, PET, cardboard, laminated cardboard, and paper.

How to Participate

Interested residents must follow these steps to join the program:

1. Register at Official Locations – Enrollment is available at designated modules listed on the program’s website.
2. Collect and Prepare Waste – Participants must gather and clean one of the following:
   • 10 kg of PET
   • 30 kg of HDPE
   • 30 kg of paper, cardboard, or laminated cardboard
   • 2 kg of aluminum
3. Visit a Transfer Center – Deliver the sorted waste to the nearest center for weighing and receive an exchange voucher.
4. Redeem for Groceries – Present the voucher on the same day to receive a basic food basket.

Additional Environmental Efforts

The program aligns with broader state initiatives, including a 40 million peso preventive fund to protect Playa del Carmen from hurricanes and ongoing efforts to combat sargassum on Cancún and Playa del Carmen beaches.

For more details on exchange locations and schedules, residents can visit the official Recicla por tu Futuro website.