— The debris arrives in the rockets’ wake: melted plastics, aluminum and pieces of blue adhesive. It all ends up stranded on the sands of Bagdad beach in northern Tamaulipas, Mexico, home to an endangered species of sea turtle. Just across the border lies Starbase, SpaceX’s launchpad and company town. Since November, Conibio Global, a small non-governmental organization, has taken on a daunting task: cleaning up trash from SpaceX, one of the most powerful companies in the world. Jesús Elías Ibarra, founder of Conibio Global, told CNN that in November 2024, he witnessed one of SpaceX’s launches and saw one of the rocket boosters fall into the Gulf of Mexico. That time, Ibarra says people arrived in at least three helicopters and more than 10 boats just a few hours later to clean up. CNN reached out to SpaceX to ask if they were responsible for this cleanup. In May, however, there was another launch, with more debris. This time, the activist claims, millions of particles ended up contaminating the area on the Mexican side. Ibarra said that a few days later, the organization collected more than a ton of waste in an area of 500 meters. “In half a kilometer out of the 40 kilometers of shoreline, we already collected one ton (of trash),” added Ibarra. “We are a very small group, it’s impossible to clean everything.” Ibarra said that Conibio Global handed the debris to the Mexican government’s environmental protection agency PROFEPA. In response to inquiries from CNN, SpaceX referred to what they published on social media site X on June 26, where they claim to have offered resources and support for cleanup efforts. The company claimed that they have also requested local and federal assistance from the Mexican government for debris recovery. Under the Outer Space Treaty, SpaceX is entitled to have its debris returned. Multiple pieces of rocket debris found on Bagdad Beach in May. Courtesy Jesus Elias Ibarra The statement added that the company had performed tests that they claim confirm that there are no chemical, biological or toxicological risks associated with the flotsam and jetsam of a typical SpaceX launch. CNN contacted the authorities of Tamaulipas and the Presidency of Mexico about SpaceX’s offer and is awaiting a response. Ibarra said that Conibio Global has not had any contact with the company. Marlon Sorge, executive director of The Aerospace Corporation’s Center for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies (CORDS), told CNN in an email that it’s best not to touch space debris if found. “Although a lot of debris is not hazardous, spaceflight-related vehicles can contain hazardous chemicals and materials,” Sorge wrote. “Be aware that it is not worth the risk to touch a piece of debris, and it could interfere with important investigations.” This label with a SpaceX logo washed up on Bagdad Beach in May. Courtesy Jesus Elias Ibarra Some of the objects found during cleanup operations, Ibarra said, are solid and spongy plastics, a type of rubber with a consistency similar to cork, aluminum with SpaceX labels, pieces of plastic bubble wrap, steel tubes, and pieces of a blue-colored adhesive. Some of this trash, Ibarra predicted, could end up being ingested by Kemp’s ridley turtles, an endangered species of sea turtle that inhabits the area. On its website, SpaceX says it is committed to minimizing the impact and improving the environment whenever possible, highlighting agreements with various US agencies and the Texas government. Trash and blue adhesive washed up on Bagdad Beach last month after a SpaceX launch went awry, Ibarra said. Courtesy Jesus Elias Ibarra