Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico - In an ongoing dedication to sustainability, Velas Resorts in Puerto Vallarta, Riviera Nayarit, Los Cabos, and Riviera Maya are no longer offering single-use plastic straws.

These single-use straws, known as "environmental villains," can take up to 200 years to decompose. For those guests who rely on straws to drink, the Velas Resorts offer biodegradable paper straws on request as an alternative. The collection estimates they will eliminate 1.6 million total straws in one year. The elimination of plastic straws complements the Mexican resort collection's eco-friendly practices used throughout the properties to lessen the impact on the surrounding environment.

Currently, Velas uses biodegradable products for cleaning as well as maintenance of the property and its surrounding landscape. Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit has implemented practices that make the resort less-dependent on oil-based sources of more ecologically sound to the surrounding environment and has several processes that utilize natural light to conserve energy. Solar panels on the resort's roof capture energy which is then used to pre-heat water before sending it to guest rooms.

Additionally, Grand Velas Riviera Maya has achieved Gold Status through EarthCheck, the world's leading organization in the certification of sustainable tourism. Surrounded by 206 acres of exuberant jungle, mangroves and freshwater cenotes, the AAA Five Diamond Grand Velas Riviera Maya is not only committed to implementing sustainable practices but is also meticulously designed to exist harmoniously with its fragile environment, including more than 18,000 trees which were reforested after the luxury resort's construction.

From fostering orphaned wildlife in the General Manager's private pool to diverting 750 lbs of raw food waste daily to a local hog farmer, Velas Vallarta is also committed to environmental sustainability. The resort is certified Gold Status by EarthCheck (formally Green Globe) and also with TripAdvisor's GreenLeaders program. In addition, the hotel is located on Puerto Vallarta's Marina Vallarta beach, where sea turtles' nest from June to December. Volunteers come from around the world to help scientists find and protect turtle eggs, camping on the beach for weeks.

To create the site for the collection's newest resort, Grand Velas Los Cabos, several hundred trees and cacti that only grow a centimeter a year were dug up and transplanted so all are used, protecting the native flora and fauna of the region.

Eliminating the need to rely upon local and regional natural resources, Grand Velas Los Cabos' Reverse-Osmosis Desalinization Plants operate self-sufficiently. For every liter of potable water, the resort is able to re-use 2.54 cups for general purposes, while 1.69 cups are returned to the subsoil, aiding in the conservation of the environment.

Saving 30% of all water used in the entire laundry process, the laundry facilities include a water treatment plant that efficiently filters soapy waters to then be used in the rinsing process. The residual water treatment facility receives and processes all the water from the entire resort, which is then used for the watering of all exterior gardens.