MIAMI – Miami-Dade commissioners are expected to vote Wednesday on a measure aimed at reducing plastic usage countywide.
District 5 Commissioner Eileen Higgins sponsored the resolution, which would prevent vendors in future county contracts from distributing single-use plastics and polystyrene. It would involve concessionaires doing business on county property, as well as those run by the county.
Vendors with existing contracts would not be mandated, but rather encouraged, to follow suit.
“It’ll be balanced,” Higgins said. “It’ll be practical, but it’ll be a great first start.”
The measure is meant to tackle the county’s mounting trash trouble. Miami-Dade County produces 5 million tons of trash per year, and landfill space is running out.
“This is a major issue about water quality and human health as well,” Higgins said.
The county is, however, facing pushback from the Florida Retail Federation, which sent the commission a letter last month stating, “We believe a ban on single-use plastics and polystyrene would harm our businesses, and ultimately, our customers,” and, “A ban restricts consumer choice, and it doesn’t do anything to address the actual need to improve our local recycling systems.”
Despite the opposition, the measure has strong support.
“The world is changing. There’s no undue hardship,” Higgins said. “Have you been to Hard Rock Stadium recently? They haven’t had a beverage in a plastic bottle in, like, four years.”
Nearly 18,000 people have signed a petition supporting it, and more than 90% of Floridians surveyed two years ago said they believed plastic regulation is needed.
“We cannot keep killing our planet,” Higgins said.