Gringo Community Reports

One of the Unexpected Consequences of NAFTA

NAFTA was touted as being the best means to bring a higher standard of living to the peoples of Mexico and the rest of Mesoamerica. If this was indeed the goal NAFTA has failed in numerous ways. Not the least of these failures is the fact that most of Mexico does not have the infrastructure required to deal with that bane of modern living - plastic. Most every item for sale comes encased in some fashion with plastic. Be it wrapping, boxes or cases. The peoples of Mesoamerica simply don’t have the ability or infrastructure to deal with the mountains of plastic that have become such an integral part of their daily lives. Actually most of the United States doesn’t have the ability to deal with the tons of plastic that goes to the landfills on a daily basis.

The traditional method of dealing with trash is to burn it. That worked well when your purchases were all wrapped in yesterday’s newspaper or some other paper product. Now, whenever you go to the tiendas or mercados in any cuidad or pueblo you leave with at least one plastic bag for every three items you purchase. It gets even worse if you buy any 2 or 3 liter bottled beverages. Most stores double bag these bottles individually. The problem is compounded since the beverages come in plastic bottles that are not returnable. At least most beer still available in glass bottles that can be recycled when returned to the seller.

On this, my fourth visit to the Gulf Coast of the Yucatan I have taken note of the many changes that have occurred in the nine years since my first visit. Firstly, it appears that the secret is out. The Yucatecan North Coast has “Been Discovered”. ‘Norte americanos’ have found the region. I have seen at least a doubling of the numbers from my first visit in 1997. Secondly, there seems to be a huge increase in beach front construction. Especially between Progreso and Telchac Puerto and even further East in the direction of Dzilam de Bravo. Near San Bruno there is a large place that has been built within rock throwing distance of the ruins of two houses that were started and never finished. There are others being built near houses that were destroyed during recent hurricanes. Hope springs eternal! Or, maybe, its that lightening wont strike twice in the same place. Both are wishful thinking in my opinion. If you live anywhere that is susceptible to hurricanes, flooding, mud slides, earthquakes, tornados et al you are taking a risk. Some regions have a higher risk factor than others but it is all a risk at some level. Take a look at what ‘Wilma’ did to Cancun. It will be many more months before the northern end of the Mayan Riviera is again what it once was.

My next observation is the tremendous amount of plastic debris that litters the beaches. I have a fairly set routine during my stays here. I take a walk along the beach after breakfast. My longest walk to date has been almost 12 kilometers round trip.

To me there is nothing like a good long walk to soothe the soul. Especially when that walk is in as tranquil a place as this. During my walks I have seen everything from soda bottles to laundry basins on the sand. Plastic bags don’t stay long in one place due to the breezes that are fairly consistent here. The bags tend to catch up in the brush above the high water mark. In many places along the coastal highway you will see accumulations of trash made up mostly of plastic.

Plastic has many great characteristics. It is relatively cheap to make and has a fairly high strength to weight ration. But it isn’t biodegradable like paper and when burned in traditional fashion it releases many toxic and/or carcinogenic vapors. Also the smell of burning plastic is less than aromatic. The cultures and the societies of Mexico, and probably most of the rest of Mesoamerica, have not been adequately prepared for this radical shift in their economies. We are selling them the ‘good life’ without any explanation or preparation for the drawbacks and pitfalls that come from joining the ‘World Economy’.

NAFTA has been very successful in some ways. Especially from the perspective of the United States economy. Markets have been opened throughout Mexico and the rest of Central America for the goods from the U.S.A. Many American firms and manufacturers have profited greatly from NAFTA . I am just not fully convinced that Mesoamerica has benefitted to the same degree that these companies have.

I’ll see when I return next year what further changes have occurred. Maybe some enterprising entrepreneur will figure out a way to utilize this waste material and make a profit out of the tons of plastic that are accumulating. In the States some companies are mixing shredded plastic bottles with sawdust and making synthetic lumber that doesn’t rot, warp or weather. With this pseudo-wood they make everything from outdoor furniture to boat docks. Seems to me that a material of this type would be a valuable product for this sub-tropical region. I’m sure that there is a solution to this problem. But firstly it has to be perceived as a problem. Time will tell if Mexico, and the rest of Central America, can overcome the inequities built into NAFTA. I hope for the best. I hope to be able to enjoy my stays here in the Yucatan for many years to come.

Gil Beyer
Casa Solar
San Bruno, Yucatan, Mexico

More letters from readers:

 Biking the Yucatan  
 By the way of the sea
 A view from the beach
 Good Friday in the silent city
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