Quintana Roo Bans Single-Use Plastics in Stores

Chetumal, Mexico — The Office of the Attorney General for Environmental Protection (Procuraduría de Protección al Ambiente, PPA) has announced that due to persistent non-compliance with the Law for the Prevention, Comprehensive Management and Circular Economy of Waste of the State of Quintana Roo and the Waste Management and Responsibility Plan, it has issued an ultimatum to supermarkets and convenience stores that have been detected still selling single-use plastics and polystyrene foam, known as unicel.

The head of the PPA, Alfonso Fernández Lemmen Meyer, stated that approximately 1,600 open procedures are currently underway for the sale of products not deemed environmentally friendly. He confirmed that a deadline for the removal of these items has been set, and failure to comply will result in corresponding fines.

A Final Deadline for Compliance

"We are talking about chains like Chedraui, Walmart, Soriana; all of them already have a procedure before the attorney general's office, and these are changes they have to make," said Fernández Lemmen Meyer. "Otherwise, they will not rectify their procedures. They have only until the last day of this year to remove all the products we have observed are prohibited and that they keep for sale. The same goes for convenience stores like Oxxo, 7Eleven, and also pharmacies. We are working to ensure they adhere to and respect the current regulations or face their fines. In total, we have about 1,600 procedures."

He detailed that, based on the observations that have been made, new inspections will be carried out to verify that the articles prohibited since 2020 can no longer be found on store shelves, thereby avoiding sanctions that range from 250,000 to one million pesos.

A Commitment to Vulnerable Ecosystems

He recalled that the state has a commitment to environmental care, especially in coastal areas and vulnerable ecosystems, which is why the goal is to eradicate single-use plastics, such as straws, plates, cups, cutlery, bags, soda bottles, trays, and polystyrene foam containers. Inspections will remain permanent.

"What we are seeking is for all businesses to adopt more sustainable practices and definitively eliminate single-use plastics and polystyrene foam products that pollute the environment," he explained. "They have already been given the necessary time to make the law effective, and yet many continue to fail to comply. That is why they are being given the opportunity to rectify their procedures before the fine is applied to them."

A Call for Public Cooperation

Although many businesses have opted for the use of reusable items, he mentioned that it is equally indispensable for the citizenry to join these measures and no longer purchase or use single-use plastics or those made from expanded polystyrene (unicel).