Playa del Carmen Residents Blast Six-Year Illegal Dump

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Residents of the Gonzalo Guerrero neighborhood have renewed complaints about a vacant lot on Avenida 45, between Calles 32 and 34, that they say has been used as an illegal dumping ground for more than six years.

A walk through the property turned up diapers, bags of trash, construction rubble, toilet bowls, lumber, tires and yard waste, along with other debris partially hidden by vegetation.

Neighbors say the accumulation has become a recurring problem: despite the passage of years, the lot keeps being used to abandon household waste, building materials and large objects.

They say their main concerns are the foul odors and unsanitary conditions that waste left out in the open can create.

Local wildlife adds to the problem. Iguanas in particular approach the trash, raising fears that they could come into contact with or ingest materials that pose a risk to them.

Residents have asked municipal authorities to carry out a full cleanup of the lot and to determine what measures are needed to stop it from being used as a dump.

They also want officials to identify and notify the property owner in order to seek a permanent solution, arguing that an isolated cleanup would not be enough if trash is dumped there again.