Mexico Bans Plastics - Scuba Shack Coz

Mexico Bans Single Use Plastic Items

Doing our part for the oceans is going to have to mean changing the way we do things. One very big thing we can do to help our oceans is to eliminate the plastic waste that finds its way into the ocean, and big way to do that is eliminate single use plastic items. Beginning on January 1^st of this year a new federal law here in Mexico went into effect that has banned all single use plastic bags and other single use plastic items. Cozumel, Holbox and Isla Mujeres are leading the way as some of the first in all of Mexico to begin implementing and enforcing the changes to ban these plastic utensils, straws, plastic bags and other single use items. Most of the restaurants here on Cozumel have also already eliminated Styrofoam containers and are using some type of cardboard or paper containers.

To give you an idea of what this means for our environment, the plastics industry association ANIPAC says the roughly 20 million people who live in Mexico City and its sprawl use about 68,000 tons of bags a year[1]. The total population of Mexico is roughly 129 million people, and Mexico sees about 35 million tourists per year[2], just imagine how much plastic waste this is going to eliminate!! Fines for plastic offenders could range from 42,000 pesos ($2,219) to 170,000 pesos ($9,036).

Plastic straws are another big single us item that will be eliminated very soon from establishments all over Cozumel. Luckily there are a lot of innovative products out there to replace plastic. Agave, papaya leaf stems, bamboo, paper and even edible straws are available to replace single use plastic straws. If you like using straws at home look into stainless steal, glass, or silicone straws for your everyday use.

Here at Scuba Shack and Village Tan Kah we are doing our part. Check out our new AWESOME water bottles. Last year we began giving these out to every diver with Scuba Shack Cozumel to use on the boat each day. Each day we will fill it up for you with fresh bottled water and have it in the cooler on the boat. This eliminates the need single us plastic bottles, or cups or other kinds of waste. Then at the end of your trip take it home as a nice souvenir.

We also just bought a brand new Mercury engine for the Briana Jean. The advance in outboard marine engines have come a long way over they years. This new engine is much more few efficient and uses less oil than engines of even 5 years ago. Plus we switched to Mercury because there are better trained mechanics here on the island so we will be much easier to keep in tip top performance.

At Village Tan Kah we’re doing our part too. Recently we’ve supplied each room with reusable grocery bags. So when you come for you next visit you won’t have to bring your own or buy them at the store, there are plenty here waiting for you. In other areas where there is still a need for disposable bags, like in the bathrooms and trash cans, we have switched to biodegradable bags made from corn polymers.

I’ve even found some simple ways to reduce my usage of single use plastics. For example, there are days I just gotta have my diet Dr. Pepper, but here on the island they only sell it in plastic bottles. I’ve started buying the syrup for the SodaStream equivalent and I mix that in glass bottles of soda water. One bottle of this mix is the equivalent to 2 cases of pop, a 98% reduction in plastic right there! Also, If I do have to buy something that is only in a plastic bottle, instead of throwing it our when I’m done, I fill it up with water and freeze it. I’m getting a good supply of cold packs for when the power is out like if a hurricane comes again. Plus I’ll have lots of cold drinking water.

Here are couple of links to some good articles on these subject if you’d like to read more:

[1] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mexico-environment-plastic/mexico-city-goes-back-to-the-future-with-plastic-bag-ban-idUSKBN1Z302U

[2] According to 2017 data