BANNED FROM THE PLATFORM. STILL NO WORD IF THAT MAN WILL FACE ANY CRIMINAL CHARGES.
>> YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR, MORE
THAN 14 MILLION TONS OF
PLASTIC ENDS UP IN THE OCEAN,
TONS.
AND WITH PLASTIC PRODUCTION
EXPECTED TO QUADRUPLE IN THE
NEXT 30 YEARS, SCIENTISTS
PREDICT THERE WILL BE MORE
PLASTIC IN THE OCEAN THAN FISH
BY WEIGHT.
>> AS WE’VE BEEN REPORTING,
MORE AND MORE SOUTH FLORIDA
CITIES HAVE EITHER STOPPED
RECYCLING OR CUT BACK ON
SERVICE BECAUSE IT’S BECOME
TOO EXPENSIVE.
THAT’S ONE REASON WHY
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY RECENTLY
INITIATED A BOLD NEW PROGRAM.
GOING PLASTIC FREE IN THE 305
IS TONIGHT’S DON’T TRASH OUR
TREASURE.
>> ARE YOU SHOCKED ABOUT THIS?
>> NO, ACTUALLY.
>> OVER THE WEEKEND, A SPECIAL
CLEAN UP ON THE SHORES BEHIND
THE W SOUTH BEACH TO CELEBRATE
WORLD OCEANS DAY PRODUCED SOME
VERY SOBERING RESULTS.
>> WE PICKED UP 600 POUNDS OF
TRASH.
THESE 600 POUNDS WERE MOSTLY
PLASTIC.
>> THE BLUE SCHOLARS
INITIATIVE COLLABORATION WITH
CLEAN MIAMI BEACH BEACH AND
INTERNATIONAL SEA KEEPERS
CONFIRMED THE DATA FROM
SCIENTISTS, OUR PLANET IS
DROWNING IN PLASTIC POLLUTION.
OUT OF THE 8.3 BILLION TONS OF
PLASTIC PRODUCED SINCE 1950,
MORE THAN 6 BILLION TONS OF IT
HAS BECOME PLASTIC WASTE.
AND A STAGGERING 80% OF IT HAS
ENDED UP IN THE OCEAN.
>> WE NEED TO ELIMINATE
PLASTIC WASTE BECAUSE IT IS
COMPLETELY TRASHING OUR
OCEANS, ESPECIALLY BISCAYNE
BAY.
>> LESS THAN 8% OF ALL
PLASTICS ARE EVER RECYCLED.
AND WHILE MANY COASTAL CITIES
WANT TO REGULATE SINGLE USE
PLASTICS TO REDUCE POLLUTION,
THEY CAN’T BECAUSE THE STATE
OF FLORIDA WON’T LET THEM.
ESSENTIALLY BANNING ANY CITY
OR COUNTY FROM BANNING
PLASTIC.
>> YOU’VE GOT FOLKS IN CONTROL
RIGHT NOW WHO ARE VERY
BUSINESS FRIENDLY, DON’T
REALLY LEAN ON THE SIDE OF THE
ENVIRONMENT.
>> THAT’S WHY MIAMI-DADE
COUNTY LAUNCHED PLASTIC FREE
305, A VOLUNTARY PROGRAM
ENCOURAGING ALL BUSINESSES IN
MIAMI-DADE TO GREATLY REDUCE
IF NOT ELIMINATE THEIR SINGLE
USE PLASTIC WASTE.
>> WE WANT TO THANK YOU, ALL
OF BUSINESS LEADER ERERS WHO AR
TAKING THIS BOLD STEP.
IT IS VERY POSSIBLE, WE DO NOT
HAVE TO USE PLASTIC.
>> BIODEGRADABLE WOODEN
UTENSILS CAN REPLACE PLASTIC
ONES AND JUST DITCH THE
PLASTIC BAGS ALL TOGETHER.
OFFER PAPER OR BETTER YET
REUSABLE CANVAS ONES.
>> OUR POOR MANATEES ARE
ALREADY STRUGGLING ENOUGH.
WE DON’T NEED ALL THESE
PLASTIC BAGS FLOATING IN THE
WATER.
>> ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS LIKE
DEBRIS FREE OCEANS HAVE BEEN
ADVOCATING FOR PROGRAMS LIKE
THIS. PLASTIC ISN’T JUST AN
EYESORE, IT’S KILLING OUR
MARINE LIFE AND ULTIMATELY US.
>> HUMANS CONSUME ABOUT A
CREDIT CARD’S WORTH OF PLASTIC
EVERY SINGLE WEEK BECAUSE
WE’RE CONSUMING SO MANY THINGS
FROM PLASTIC ITEMS.
>> MORE AND MORE CONSUMERS ARE
LOOKING FOR WAYS TO REDUCE
THEIR PLASTIC FOOTPRINT.
>> CONSUMERS WANT TO DO
SOMETHING ABOUT THE PLASTIC
POLLUTION PROBLEM AND THEY
WANT BUSINESSES TO PROVIDE
THEM WITH THE OPPORTUNITY SO
THAT THEY CAN HELP OUR
ENVIRONMENT.
>> THAT’S WHERE PLASTIC FREE
305 STEPS IN.
CONSUMERS CAN LOG ON TO THE
COUNTY’S WEBSITE AND DISCOVER
WHICH BUSINESSES HAVE TAKEN
THE PLEDGE.
>> SO BUSINESSES, WHEN THEY
SWITCH TO REUSABLE AND THEY
DITCH DISPOSABLE, THEY
ACTUALLY SAVE MONEY.
WE HAVE A CALCULATOR ON OUR
WEBSITE THAT YOU CAN USE TO
DISCOVER HOW QUICKLY YOU’LL
GET A RETURN ON INVESTMENT IN
YOUR REUSABLES AT YOUR
ESTABLISHMENT.
>> IT’S WORKING FOR POT BELLY
SUSHI, THE RESTAURANT GROUP
WENT MOSTLY PLASTIC FREE TWO
YEARS AGO WHEN MIAMI BEACH
LAUNCHED ITS PROGRAM.
>> WE STARTED USING DISPOSABLE
CONTAINERS TO GO.
THESE ARE MADE OUT OF BAMBOO.
THEY’RE 100% COMPOSTABLE.
>> THERE ARE ALSO NEW
BUSINESSES LIKE VERDE MARKET
OFFERING CONSUMERS A PLACE TO
SHOP FOR HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS,
ONLY BUYING THE GOODS AND
REUSING YOUR EMPTY CONTAINERS.
>> SIMPLE.
ANY CONTAINER, DON’T THROW IT
AWAY.
YOU CAN BRING IT HERE AND
WE’LL MAKE SURE WE CAN REUSE
THAT CONTAINER AS MANY TIMES
AS POSSIBLE.
>> THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW.
AND IF YOU’RE A BUSINESS
OWNER, YOUR CUSTOMERS, YOUR
NEIGHBORS, YOUR LOVED ONES,
YOUR PLANET IS COUNTING ON YOU
TO STEP UP.
>> THERE’S A LOT OF GOOD
HUMANS AND THAT’S WHAT WE’RE
BETTING ON.
>> YOUR PLANET IS COUNTING ON
YOU.
AGAIN, THIS IS A VOLUNTARY
PROGRAM FOR ALL BUSINESSES
OPERATING IN MIAMI-DADE
COUNTY.
YOU CAN SIGN UP THROUGH THE
COUNTY’S WEBSITE.
AND AGAIN, CONSUMERS CAN LEARN
WHICH BUSINESSES HAVE GONE
PLASTIC FREE.
WE HAVE THAT LINK PLUS A LINK
TO DEBRIS FREE OCEAN’S
REUSABLES CALCULATOR ON OUR
WEBSITE.
SCAN THE QR CODE ON YOUR
SCREEN, IT WILL TAKE YOU RIGHT
TO THE DON’T TRASH OUR
TREASURE SECTION ON
Local10.com.
SO IMPORTANT THAT WE ALL STEP
UP AND GO PLASTIC FREE.
IT’S ON ALL OF US.
>> THESE BUSINESSES ARE
GETTING REALLY CREATIVE, WHICH