Commissioner Eileen Higgins’ legislation creating the Plastic Free 305 Program approved by the Board of County Commissioners

MIAMI-DADE – On Dec. 1, 2021, the Board of County Commissioners approved legislation sponsored by Commissioner Eileen Higgins, District 5, to create the Plastic Free 305 program, a volunteer certification program for businesses located in Miami-Dade County.

“Plastic pollution starts with us on land and ends up in our County’s waterways, canals, and storm drain systems harming our marine life and damaging our resources,” said Commissioner Higgins. “Simple local actions by businesses and residents can make an impact to solve this global issue, and it starts with our own community.”

Counties and municipalities around the state have taken action to protect the environment by creating programs and policies to combat the harmful effects of plastics on our environment – including the City of Coral Gables with the “Green Business Certification Program” and the City of Miami Beach with the “Plastic Free Miami Beach” Program. In 2019, Commissioner Eileen Higgins launched ‘Greener Coral Way,” an initiative aimed to certify restaurants in District 5’s Coral Way business corridor that voluntarily took steps towards sustainability and resilience by removing or replacing Styrofoam products and single-use plastic and addressing food waste in their operations.

“The green transition is not just an environmental imperative, it’s an economic one,” said Commissioner Higgins. “Many of our businesses and residents in our community have risen to the challenge because the environmental and economic cost of inaction is too high.”

Miami-Dade County business owners and residents have a history of being committed to environmental resilience due to the location of the County and harm that its natural resources, such as Biscayne Bay, have suffered due to pollution. The “Plastic Free 305” program will ensure the continuation of the County’s commitment to resiliency by providing support to businesses as they transition to plastic free alternatives. The program will launch during Earth Month 2022.