Miami-Dade moves to phase out single-use plastics
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Sophie Ringel, founder of the nonprofit "Clean Miami Beach," empties plastic trash left on the beach. Photo: Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images
Miami-Dade County is cracking down on single-use plastics at Miami International Airport and other county-owned properties under a resolution approved yesterday.
Why it matters: The limited ban on plastic and styrofoam will address the county's environmental and waste crises, said Commissioner Eileen Higgins, who sponsored the new regulations.
How it works: The plastics restriction, which will apply to all new contracts with concessionaires on county land, is not a true ban and its language had been watered down prior to the final vote.
- The resolution says Mayor Daniella Levine Cava should, to the "greatest extent possible," include provisions banning single-use plastics in all new contracts going forward.
- That means that some new contracts might give vendors time to ramp up to full compliance, Higgins said.
- The resolution also directs Levine Cava — to the "greatest extent possible" — to eliminate single-use plastics and styrofoam at county-run concessionaires within a year.
By the numbers: Miami-Dade created a voluntary Plastic Free 305 program in 2021, calling on businesses to reduce or eliminate their plastic use.
- As of this summer, there are 88 plastic-free businesses in the county.
What they're saying: Higgins praised Zoo Miami and Hard Rock Stadium for moving away from single-use plastics.
- At the county-run zoo, Higgins said the no-plastic policy hasn't changed prices — a testament to the prevalence of alternative products compared to just a few years ago.
- "At the zoo, every plate you might eat off is biodegradable," Higgins said.
- She told Axios that the resolution would eliminate trash and preserve natural resources.
The other side: Commissioner Roberto Gonzalez, who voted against the resolution, said he commends businesses that move away from plastic products but the government should not mandate it.
- Small businesses and their customers will suffer if they are forced to switch to non-plastic alternatives, he said.
- He argued that paper straws have been found to be damaging to the environment. Plus, they ruin his drink, he said.
- "They dissolve, they turn into mush and they leave paper residue contaminants in your drink."