Update 11/21: This item passed! This means that going forward, county contracts will be free of single-use plastic and Styrofoam. Thank you everyone for your support! Read more here.

Update 10/17: This item was deferred to the 11/20 County Commission Meeting. Thank you to all those who took action. For those who haven't yet please take action and share before the 11/20 County Commission meeting where this item will be voted on!

The Problem

Plastic pollution is a big problem in Miami. We are increasingly seeing plastics have frightening impacts on human health, including hormone disruption and potential reproductive consequences from microplastics (learn more).  After plastic ends up in the ocean or Biscayne Bay, marine wildlife like sea turtles can face death or injury from ingesting plastics. Wildlife is also susceptible to the harms of microplastics as they accumulate up food chains, in some cases ending up in the food we eat.

There are negative economic impacts from single use plastics- tourists do not want to visit beaches and natural areas covered in litter. A local group at FIU, the Green Campus Initiative, calculated a $7 billion economic benefit from increased tourism if we eliminated single-use plastics in Florida (read here).

How You Can Help

Take Action! On Wednesday October 16, the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners will vote on item 11A4, eliminating single-use plastics and Styrofoam from county purchasing (read the full item here). This ordinance would eliminate single-use plastics and Styrofoam in county parks, Miami International Airport, the Port of Miami, county marinas, and county buildings.

Use our action to email the Mayor and all 13 County Commissioners urging them to support this item.

• This law would help solve the trash problem in Biscayne Bay and the spoil islands by reducing waste at the source.
• This law would benefit Miami's wildlife and public health by reducing microplastics and marine debris.
• As the most populous county in Florida, Miami-Dade has significant power in contract negotiations and can lay the groundwork for more plastic-free contracts statewide.
• The City of Miami Beach has already passed similar legislation with great outcomes.
• Because of state preemption, Miami-Dade county cannot ban single-use plastics. However, the preemption does not extend to county contracts.

Thank you. Please take action today and share widely.

Plastic Collected from a Biscayne Bay Shore Cleanup