In response to the growing pollution caused by waste along the coastline of Baja California Sur, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), in coordination with the organization Clean Up BCS, has called on citizens to take part in the Mega State Cleanup “Blue Wave: A Movement that Unites, Cleans, and Transforms,” a simultaneous event described as the largest cleanup effort ever organized in the state.
The initiative is part of Mexico’s National Strategy for Cleaning and Conserving Beaches and Coasts 2025 – 2030, which seeks to improve waste management, restore ecosystems, and strengthen community participation with the goal of achieving beaches free of plastic pollution by 2030. Cristina González Rubio Sanvicente, head of SEMARNAT’s representative office in Baja California Sur, warned that waste has already reached the sea and stressed that addressing the problem requires shared responsibility, coordination, and immediate action among citizens, government agencies, schools, universities, and the private sector.
Claudia Padilla, director of Clean Up BCS, said the “Blue Wave” aims to establish itself as a citizen-led movement that brings people together and reshapes the public’s relationship with the land and the sea. Since its creation, the organization has mobilized more than 10,000 volunteers through multiple cleanup efforts and now hopes to surpass the participation levels reached in 2024.
The statewide cleanup is scheduled for Saturday, March 22, starting at 8:00 a.m., with coordinated actions planned in more than 13 coastal communities across the state’s five municipalities. Cleanup sites include San José del Cabo, Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, Los Barriles, Todos Santos–El Pescadero, San Juanico, Puerto San Carlos, El Sargento–La Ventana, Loreto, Isla Magdalena, Santa Rosalía, and Guerrero Negro, among others.
In Cabo San Lucas and Punta Arenas, underwater cleanups will be carried out in coordination with diving groups and marine associations. In La Paz, efforts will focus on environmentally sensitive areas such as mangroves, including La Eréndira Beach, and sites like El Conchalito, with support from local organizations. For the third consecutive year, Todos Santos – El Pescadero will again serve as a key participation hub, with the involvement of community organizations, schools, and families.
According to SEMARNAT’s Basic Diagnostic for Integrated Waste Management, Mexico generates more than 102,000 tons of municipal solid waste every day, equivalent to an average of 0.944 kilograms per person. In Baja California Sur, environmental and municipal assessments indicate waste generation levels above the national average, particularly in tourist and coastal areas where volumes increase for much of the year.
Within this context, organizers highlighted the recent approval of Mexico’s General Law on Circular Economy as an important step toward reducing environmental impacts and encouraging the reuse and recovery of materials before they become waste.
The call to participate is open to the public on March 22 at 8:00 a.m. For more information, interested parties may contact in**@********cs.mx or call 624-182-8596.
