# Mexico and Chile waste removal drives > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/mexico-community-waste-cleanup-initiatives > Updated: 2026-09-08T16:10:00.000Z. Sources: 55. Developments: 5. By late July 2026, the cross-border clean-up effort continued to broaden. Earlier in the month, municipal crews in Los Cabos cleared more than 60 tonnes of debris from the López Obrador neighbourhood and Ecatepec’s night-collection programme reported a cumulative removal of 14,449 tonnes of waste over six months, while Huixquilucan added three tonnes of electronic, plastic and cardboard material collected during Eco Cambalache 2026. New actions included the installation of temporary “Puntos Limpios” containers in Ciudad Juárez for furniture, household items and tires until 3 August, and a volunteer beach effort in Cancún that recovered 45 kg of solid waste and 1 kg of cigarette butts. Mexico City’s authorities removed an abandoned Renault 11 vehicle from the Las Agaves neighbourhood, and the state of Campeche introduced a legislative proposal to create a circular-economy framework for waste-management transparency. In Chile, volunteers in Tongoy and Guanaqueros stripped storm-debris from Playa Grande and nearby beaches ahead of the tourist season. The State of Mexico’s Corregidora municipality coordinated with Conagua to locate and close clandestine discharges affecting the El Batán reservoir, reinforcing federal water-management goals. In late July, a coordinated effort in Progreso, Yucatán, involving over 600 volunteers and the Secretaría de Desarrollo Sustentable, removed 816 kg of waste, including 18 tires, from local beaches. By late August, authorities and volunteers in Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, removed approximately 1.775 tonnes of waste, including PET plastic and glass, from Playa Azul. This operation was part of the National Strategy for the Cleaning and Conservation of Mexico's Beaches and Coasts 2025–2030, which aims to eliminate 100% of plastic waste from the country's coasts by 2030. On 10 August, a cleanup operation took place at Chacahua Bay within the Lagunas de Chacahua National Park in Oaxaca. ## Claims - Huixquilucan gathered three tons of electronic, plastic and cardboard waste during Eco Cambalache 2026. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Corregidora municipality coordinates with Conagua to detect and close clandestine discharges affecting the El Batán reservoir. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Tongoy and Guanaqueros coastal clean‑ups removed debris and sediment from beaches after a recent frontal system. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Mayor Romina Contreras Carrasco said the collection removed highly contaminating materials for specialized recycling. (single source) - The Benito Juárez city council in Cancun conducted an operation in Supermanzana 95, clearing a large pile of discarded items. (single source) - During the Cancun operation, assistance was provided to a resident with addiction problems by IMCA director Alberto Ortuño Báez. (single source) - A junk‑removal drive was announced for Supermanzana 218 in Cancun on 30‑31 July. (single source) - Clean‑up teams removed five tonnes of PET, various plastics and general waste from 14 beaches across ten Yucatán municipalities. (single source) - The Yucatán beach clean‑ups were part of the national “Adopt a Beach” programme coordinated by SEMARNAT and involved the Navy (SEMAR) and volunteers. (single source) - In the Puerto Progreso boardwalk, 816 kg of microplastics, bags, aluminum cans and abandoned tires were collected. (single source) - Los Cabos municipality removed more than 60 tonnes of waste from the López Obrador neighbourhood. (single source) ## Timeline ### 2026-09-08: Iquique community cleans Playa Blanca Urban Wetland Authorities and volunteers collected nearly one ton of waste during a community cleanup at the Playa Blanca Urban Wetland in Iquique, Chile, to protect local biodiversity and shorebird habitats. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/iquique-community-cleans-playa-blanca-urban-wetland ### 2026-08-26: Chacahua Bay community conducts large-scale cleanup Volunteers and local authorities collected over 131 kg of waste during a cleanup operation at Chacahua Bay in Oaxaca to protect the marine ecosystem. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/chacahua-bay-community-conducts-large-scale-cleanup ### 2026-08-20: Michoacán authorities remove 1.7 tons of waste from Playa Azul Authorities and volunteers removed 1.775 tons of waste, including plastic and glass, from Playa Azul in Michoacán as part of a national coastal conservation strategy. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/michoacn-authorities-remove-17-tons-of-waste-from-playa-azul ### 2026-07-29: Municipal waste clean‑up drives in Mexico and Chile remove thousands of tons of debris Mexican municipalities removed over 60 tons of waste in Los Cabos and 14 449 tons in Ecatepec, while Chilean towns cleaned beaches after a frontal system; related clean‑up actions occurred in Huixquilucan, Juá­ 47 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/mexican-towns-gather-over-8-tonnes-of-waste-in-community-cleanup-campaigns ### 2026-07-26: Progreso, Mexico removes 816 kg of waste in coordinated beach cleanup More than 600 volunteers in Progreso, Mexico cleared 816 kg of waste and 18 tires from the beach, a cleanup led by SDS and local groups to protect marine ecosystems. 7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/progreso-mexico-removes-816-kg-of-waste-in-coordinated-beach-cleanup --- Cite as: Mexico and Chile waste removal drives. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/mexico-community-waste-cleanup-initiatives