Mexico

Measures

Challenges

• Recycling system improvement
• Proper waste management system (including lack of local capacity)
• Data collection related to waste in general
• Data collection related to marine plastic litter

Best practices

Local level

“Protection of the Mexican coastal regions and their marine ecosystems by reducing plastic waste” (PROCEP, as per its acronym in Spanish)

The objective of this project is to reduce the amount of plastic waste that enters Mexican marine ecosystems in the Pacific, through 3 lines of action:

1. Improve waste management and environmental management in the state of Oaxaca to reduce the estimated amount of plastics that enter marine ecosystems.
   • Determination of a baseline and regular monitoring of plastics input.
   • Reduction of the number of informal landfills through cooperation with local government and civil society.
   • Development of capacities for the local government on waste issues, advice on state-private financing measures.
   • Development of networks: universities, civil society, local communities to investigate marine animals that have died on the beach in order to document and monitor the impact of plastic.
   • Cooperation with CONANP to implement an awareness and communication campaign.
2. Improve waste management in the tourism and fishing industry to reduce plastic consumption in the sector.
   • Determination of a baseline for plastic consumption in the tourism and fishing industry in Oaxaca and regular monitoring.
   • Cooperation with state stakeholders, the tourism and fishing industry.
   • Awareness campaigns with relevant actors from both industries.
   • Advice on replacement products and other measures to reduce plastic consumption.
3. Disseminate best practices in the pilot region to other Pacific coastal areas of Mexico.
   • Systematic processing and validation of best practices with Mexican counterparts.
   • Establish exchange formats between 3 selected coastal regions.
   • Integration of the best practices of the pilot region in the programs of the national environmental practice.
   • Diffusion of best practices through regional (digital) platforms.

International cooperation

CEC Strategic Plan 2021-2025

From 2017 to June 2021, Mexico collaborated with Canada and the United States within the framework of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) in efforts focused on reducing marine litter in general (not just plastic), by strengthening the capacities of local communities to address the management of solid waste of land origin, in order to prevent, minimize and manage waste before its arrival at sea:

http://www.cec.org/es/category/ecosistemas/reduccion-de-la-basura-marina-es/

As part of these works, the participation of various local stakeholders and their involvement in the identification of small-scale solutions for the reduction of marine litter was encouraged; A set of tools available to the public was developed, which seeks to guide decision-makers in facilitating community participation in actions and initiatives that reduce marine litter from a local and preventive approach, and awareness-raising actions were carried out and raising awareness about the role of the population in preventing this problem, and the solutions available to citizens for its reduction.

As evidenced by the CEC Strategic Plan 2021-2025 approved by Mexico, Canada and the United States, the adoption of measures aimed at preventing and mitigating the problem of marine litter, including plastic waste and microplastics, will continue to be a priority in the collaboration between the three countries:

http://www.cec.org/files/documents/planes_estrategicos/cca-plan-estrategico-2021-2025.pdf