On a Mexican beach, endangered turtles live among the wreckage of the SpaceX.

Debris washes up in the wake of the rockets: melted plastic, aluminum, and pieces of blue adhesive. It all washes up on the sand of Bagdad Beach in northern Tamaulipas, Mexico, home to an endangered species of sea turtle. Just across the border is Starbase, the launch pad and base for SpaceX.

Since November, Conibio Global, a small non-governmental organization, has taken on a challenging task: cleaning up the waste of SpaceX, one of the most powerful companies in the world.

Jesús Elías Ibarra, founder of Conibio Global, told CNN that he witnessed one of SpaceX's launches in November 2024 and saw one of the boosters fall into the Gulf of Mexico. On that occasion, Ibarra says people arrived in at least three helicopters and more than 10 boats just hours later to clean up. CNN contacted SpaceX to ask if they were responsible for this cleanup.

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However, in May, there was another release, with more debris. This time, the activist claims, millions of particles ended up contaminating the area on the Mexican side. Ibarra said that, days later, the organization collected more than a ton of waste in a 500-square-meter area.

“In half a kilometer of the 40 kilometers of coastline, we've already collected a ton (of trash),” Ibarra added. “We're a very small group; it's impossible to clean everything.”

Ibarra said that Conibio Global handed the remains over to the Federal Attorney General's Office for Environmental Protection (Profepa).

In response to CNN's inquiries, SpaceX referred to a post on social media platform X on June 26, where it claims to have offered resources and support for the cleanup effort. The company said it has also requested local and federal assistance from the Mexican government for the recovery of debris. Under the Outer Space Treaty, SpaceX has the right to have its debris returned.

The statement added that the company conducted tests that it says confirm there are no chemical, biological, or toxicological risks associated with debris from a typical SpaceX launch.

CNN contacted Tamaulipas authorities and the Mexican Presidency about SpaceX's offer and is awaiting a response.

Ibarra noted that Conibio Global has had no contact with the company. Marlon Sorge, executive director of the Aerospace Corporation for Debris Reentry Studies (CORDS), told CNN via email that it's best not to touch space debris if it's found.

“Although many pieces of debris are not hazardous, spaceflight-related vehicles may contain hazardous chemicals and materials,” Sorge wrote. “Please be aware that touching a piece of debris and interfering with important research is not worth the risk.”