Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Last weekend, the municipal government, headed by Arturo Peña Dávalos and the Department of Ecology, conducted a clean-up on Puerto Vallarta beaches from Boca de Tomatlan to Boca de Tomates. More than two tons of waste were collected.

607 people in 44 groups, comprising businesses, schools, and municipal, state and federal government workers, participated, as well as restaurants, hotels, beach workers and volunteers from the general public, who together covered 16,000 linear meters along Banderas Bay.

"We are very pleased with the outcome, this was an exercise that allowed the government and the public to work together... and it speaks highly of the efforts we are making to carry out joint community actions," said the Department of Ecology's Deputy Director, Juan Jose Navarro Amaral.

He stressed that a plan for monthly beach cleaning is being coordinated by the Department of Public Services; and that there are daily cleaning squads on some beaches, as well as a program to clean up the bodies of water associated with beaches.

"As part of the coastline cleanup plan, we are establishing four permanent beach cleaning schedules: one prior to the December holidays; one before and one after the Semana Santa holiday period; and the last during the summer vacation period. The cleaning cycle starts again in December," explained the municipal officer.

He added that more and more hotels and restaurants have staff assigned to manage waste, some have added signage and changed the material of the cups used to serve drinks on the beach - all commendable actions that contribute to the city's plan to make this tourist destination more environmentally responsible.

"In Boca de Tomatlan, 60 school children were involved in last weekend's cleanup. Today we are seeing a greater number of young people participating in efforts like these. We are betting on the younger generation, because they are the ones who push these changes that are so desperately needed throughout the world," said Navarro.

It is important to point out that everyone needs to be aware of their responsibilities to care for the environment. If you don't want to volunteer for beach cleaning activities, you can still contribute to the city's efforts by picking up your own trash, including your pet's feces, during your visits to our beautiful beaches.