Florida Firm Turns Mayan Riviera Seaweed into Polymers

A Florida-based company is set to purchase sargassum, a type of seaweed, from Solidaridad in Mexico for use in the production of polymers and cellulose. The announcement was made by Dagoberto Ruiz, the General Director of Dakatso, during a press conference. The sargassum will be exported from the Mayan Riviera via the Dakatso Group of Mexico to Soarce USA in Florida, following an agreement reached at the Expo LatAm Trade Show Orlando and Port Tampa Bay 2025, an event sponsored by Mexico's Ministry of Economy.

A total of 100 Mexican companies, represented under the "Made in Mexico" brand, participated in the event, interacting with 37 suppliers from Florida. "We were honored to be invited by the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Eight companies from Quintana Roo were present, and we were the only one from Solidaridad," Ruiz said.

As a result of this collaboration, sargassum collected from the beaches of Solidaridad will be used by Soarce USA. The Florida company plans to use the seaweed as a raw material for producing polymers and cellulose, which are used in the manufacture of textiles, car parts, and other items. The project will be coordinated with federal, state, and municipal governments.

During the Florida event, meetings were held with Paul Carrillo, the State's Secretary of the Economy, and Antón Bojórquez, the municipal Secretary of Economy, to discuss joint efforts on the projects.

Initially, two tonnes of live sargassum will be sent, requiring the collection of approximately 100 tonnes. "We hope to begin this process within one and a half to two months, depending on the natural seasonality of the high seas arrival," Ruiz concluded.