Volunteers Remove Nearly Three Tons of Waste from Playa del Carmen Cenotes

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Volunteers removed nearly three tons of waste from urban cenotes during 2025 cleanup efforts, aiming to restore value and respect to these underground ecosystems in a city built on porous karst terrain where pollution directly impacts the aquifer.

Alejandra Flores, a volunteer with Cenotes Urbanos, explained that the urban area contains around 300 identified caves, cenotes, and caverns, making the city particularly vulnerable.

“These aren’t just cleanup events; they’re processes of restoration,” she said, warning that any waste dumped in these spaces eventually affects the groundwater that supplies daily drinking water.

During the year, volunteers conducted 17 restoration events at 14 caves, with an average of 13 volunteers per session. They removed 2,875.50 kilograms of non-recyclable waste and 214.50 kilograms of recyclable materials, though some recyclables were too degraded from water exposure to be reused.

Flores noted that the waste included household trash and organic debris, including remains from chicken restaurants, showing the problem stems not just from population growth but from irresponsible waste management by both residents and some businesses.

She said the goal is to prevent the need for repeated cleanups, so they’re working with the Environment Department on an intervention schedule and community awareness campaigns to foster a culture of care and respect for urban cenotes.