Cozumel, Q.R. — A group of volunteers in a beach clean at Cozumel’s Punta Sur collected more than 100 kilos of plastic trash. Over the weekend, the Foundation of Parks and Museums of Cozumel (FPMC) and collaborators of the Walmart Group, were part of the volunteers who picked up beach garbage.
The agency reported collecting a total of 102 kilos of plastic waste that reached the coast by ocean currents.
Over the weekend, employees of the Bodega Aurrerá and Sam’s Club department stores, which belong to the Walmart Group, were part of the volunteers in the FPMC’s monthly beach cleanup as part of its socially responsible company program.
Island biologist Rafael Chacón Díaz, director of Conservation and Environmental Education (CEA), explained that even when single-use plastic objects are placed in a garbage dump, with the wind and rain, they can reach the sea until the marine currents carry them away where they eventually reach beaches.
He stressed that each piece of plastic waste that is removed from the beaches means one less dangerous item for marine animals, birds, or currently, sea turtles who are currently nesting.
He said that beach cleanups are an experience that raises awareness about the relevance of reducing the use of plastics, giving them a proper final destination and giving volunteers a clear idea of the magnitude of the problem, which often inspires them to share their printing with more people, generating a multiplier effect.
