Are Your Old Clothes Are Ruining Mexico’s Cenotes and Reefs?

CANCÚN, Quintana Roo — Residents have until Monday, August 10, to deliver unwanted clothing to a collection point at C&A in Plaza Las Américas Cancún as part of a nationwide campaign promoting the reuse and recycling of textiles and plastics.

The federal campaign, called “Gol por el Ambiente,” is being coordinated by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection, known as Profepa. Its first stage registered 368 projects involving 330 participating organizations, businesses and institutions. Together, those projects propose to return more than 1.4 million kilograms of used materials to reuse, recycling or other circular-management systems.

That figure is a national target associated with the registered projects, not an amount that has already been collected. The broader campaign continues through August 16, with results scheduled to be announced the following day, according to Profepa.

Why textiles are part of the campaign

Clothing presents a complicated waste problem because garments often contain blends of natural and synthetic materials that are difficult to separate and recycle. Polyester, nylon and acrylic are forms of plastic, while buttons, zippers, elastic and decorative components can make processing even harder.

Synthetic garments also shed microscopic plastic fibers as they are worn and washed. The United Nations Environment Programme estimates that roughly 60 percent of the material used in clothing is plastic. Wastewater treatment systems do not capture every fiber, allowing some to reach rivers, coastal waters and the ocean. UNEP says laundry contributes an estimated 500,000 tonnes of plastic microfibers to the ocean annually.

Once dispersed in water or sediment, microfibers are extremely difficult to recover. That is particularly relevant in Quintana Roo, where groundwater, cenotes and coastal ecosystems are closely connected through the peninsula’s porous limestone geology. However, scientists continue to study the exact movement and effects of textile fibers in individual groundwater and reef systems.

The global recycling rate remains low. About 73 percent of materials used to make clothing eventually are burned or buried in landfills, while less than 1 percent of discarded clothing is turned into new clothing, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Much of what is described as textile recycling is actually “downcycling,” in which fibers become insulation, industrial cloths, padding or other lower-value materials.

What residents can do before August 10

Residents interested in participating should first sort clothing according to its condition:

• Wearable clothing: Clean garments that remain in good condition should preferably be given directly to a person, charity, shelter, resale store or community organization that can use them. Direct reuse generally extends a garment’s life more effectively than recycling.
• Damaged or worn textiles: Clothing that is torn, stained or no longer wearable may be suitable for a textile-collection program. Items should be washed and completely dry before being delivered.
• Special items: Do not assume that shoes, underwear, pillows, blankets or heavily contaminated textiles will be accepted. Residents should ask the collection point about exclusions before bringing those items.

For this campaign, clothing can be delivered to the C&A store inside Plaza Las Américas, Avenida Tulum No. 260, Cancún, through August 10.

C&A also operates an ongoing national program known as ReutiliC&A with the collection company re.colecto. The program accepts garments for reuse or recycling at most C&A stores in Mexico, according to the company’s official program page. Anyone planning to donate after the campaign deadline should contact the store first to confirm that collection remains available and determine which materials are accepted.

Neither Profepa nor the local campaign information has publicly provided a detailed account of where every garment collected in Cancún will be processed. Donors therefore should not assume that all material will become new clothing. Items may be sorted for reuse, recycling or lower-value industrial applications depending on their condition and fiber composition.

Plastic collection points also announced

The campaign information lists several Quintana Roo locations for plastic collection:

• Fiesta Americana Condesa Cancún
• Sam’s Club Cancún Labná
• Walmart Supercenter Playa del Carmen
• PetStar Transfer Center in Holbox

Accepted materials may vary by location. PetStar, for example, primarily works with PET beverage containers, so residents should not bring mixed household plastics without first confirming what the center will receive.

Containers should generally be empty, clean and dry. Caps, labels and other components should be handled according to the instructions at each collection site. Residents are advised to verify operating hours and material requirements before making a special trip.

Reducing textile waste after the campaign

Donating unwanted clothing is only one part of reducing its environmental impact. Residents can also help by purchasing fewer garments, choosing durable clothing, repairing damaged items and using resale or clothing-swap programs.

Washing synthetic garments less frequently, using full loads and selecting gentler cycles can reduce fiber shedding. Microfiber-catching laundry bags or washing-machine filters may also capture some fibers before they enter wastewater.

The immediate opportunity is straightforward: wearable clothing should be directed toward reuse, while clean, dry garments that can no longer be worn can be taken to the C&A collection point at Plaza Las Américas Cancún by August 10.