Cancún clears 16,000+ tonnes of sargassum as Playa del Carmen pushes industrial reuse

Municipal, state and federal teams in Cancún have removed more than 16,000 tonnes of sargassum this year under the permanent operation “Todos contra el sargazo”. Daily cleaning and monitoring have prevented large accumulations on public beaches, with crews using sweepers and coordinated schedules to keep the shoreline clear.

Business leaders in nearby Playa del Carmen are urging the federal and state governments to accelerate policies that turn the algae into a commercial resource. They cite the processing plant under construction in Puerto Morelos and a pilot facility in Tulum that will produce “sargacreto”, a concrete made from sargassum. The project, led by Grupo Dakatso, aims to use up to 1,800 tonnes of the algae per construction job, creating new investment opportunities and reducing the environmental impact on the region’s tourism‑driven economy.