Miami-Dade commissioners approve ban on single-use plastics at county venues

Eventually, the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners wants Miami International Airport to operate more like Zoo Miami. 

Not when it comes to displaying animals. The county commissioners are talking about cutting way down on single-use plastics, the way the zoo has already done. Wednesday, the commissioners voted 10-3 in favor of a resolution that restricts the use of single-use plastics on county-owned properties, such as the airport, the seaport, and county parks. 

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“I’m gonna support the item even though I don’t like paper straws, because I understand it’s good for the environment,” said commission chair Oliver Gilbert. 

Plastics, of course, are undeniably bad for the environment. The oceans and our local waterways are clogged with plastic bottles and cups which degrade into microplastics and then end up in the food chain. 

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“I’m very much in support of this item, we need to think about really the scourge of plastics, we are working so hard to clean up our beaches, our waterways, it’s a worldwide problem,” said Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine-Cava. 

The resolution means existing vendors at county properties do not have to change anything, but going forward, new business contracts will specifically limit single-use plastics. 

“This is incredibly important, only about 10% of plastic water bottles ever end up being recycled, you know what that means the rest of them go? They go in the trash, they blow around, go to any of our waterfronts and just look,” said Commissioner Eileen Higgins, who sponsored the item. 

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Higgins said Zoo Miami, which transitioned away from single-use plastics in favor of items such as aluminum bottles without having to raise prices, is the role model. Commissioner Roberto Gonzalez was one of three who voted no.

“It does absolutely nothing, it’s just a feel-good item at a time when there are many things that Miami-Dade County needs to be concentrating on,” Gonzalez said.