Your Old Clothes Are Ruining Mexico’s Cenotes and Reefs

Authorities warn that microplastics and detached textile fibers are virtually impossible to remove from water and sediments.

The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) and the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) are calling on the public to donate clothing as part of the “Goal for the Environment” campaign. The initiative invites citizens to channel unused garments toward circular economy schemes before they cause irreversible damage in the state of Quintana Roo.

In the state, the improper disposal of garments made with polyester, nylon, or elastane triggers a two-way impact. On one hand, it generates toxic leachate in local landfills that threatens to seep into the permeable underground aquifer and contaminate the network of cenotes. On the other hand, the release of microplastics during the washing and degradation of these fabrics reaches the coasts of the Mexican Caribbean, harming the health of marine fauna and coral colonies.

Coastal conservation specialists warn that microplastics and detached textile fibers are virtually impossible to remove from water and sediments, so they will remain for decades, altering the food chain and degrading reef structures.

This regional vulnerability is part of an international waste management crisis. According to data from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, globally it is estimated that 85% of garments produced annually end up incinerated or deposited in landfills, while less than one percent of the material used to manufacture clothing is recycled to make entirely new garments.

Given this scenario, spokespeople for environmental campaigns emphasize that the current model of excessive consumption generates tons of waste whose footprint exceeds the capacity of sanitary infrastructure, forcing a move toward urgent schemes of circular economy and responsible collection.

For textile materials, the official collection center is located at the C&A branch in Plaza las Américas, Cancún, at Avenida Tulum No. 260, with a collection deadline set for August 10, 2026.

At the same time, the strategy includes plastic collection points at locations such as Fiesta Americana Condesa Cancun, Walmart Sam’s Club Labná, Walmart Supercenter Playa del Carmen, and the PetStar Transfer Center in Holbox.

However, textile recycling on the peninsula faces serious logistical challenges due to the lack of industrial spinning and chemical processing plants in the region. For this reason, the clothing collected through the official modules must be transported by reverse logistics to specialized centers in the center of the country, where most of the recovered fibers go through downcycling processes to be transformed into thermal insulation, industrial cleaning rags, or fillings for the automotive industry.

According to Profepa, the national campaign “Goal for the Environment” seeks to divert and introduce into circular economy chains a total of 1.4 million kilograms (1,400 tons) of waste, including plastics and textiles, throughout the country.

Authorities and environmental organizations urge the people of Quintana Roo to check their closets, prioritize donation and direct reuse when garments are in good condition, and deliver worn-out textiles to official locations before the closing of the call for entries in order to protect the state’s water and marine resources.