Plastic Free Cities is a community-driven effort to keep our ocean and neighborhoods clean by engaging students, businesses and local governments in the elimination of single-use plastics in Florida.

Each year, Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup^® (ICC) reveals increasing amounts of single-use plastics washed up on beaches and along waterways relative to other types of debris, on both a global scale as well as across Florida. Waste assessments completed across Florida further demonstrate that plastics are making their way to our shorelines from pollution and dumping that happens inland. Plastic Free Cities uses community advocacy and youth leadership to help businesses reduce their plastic use, preventing single-use plastics from damaging Florida’s fragile ecosystems.

The Start of a Movement in Miami-Dade County

Developed by Ocean Conservancy in partnership with Debris Free Oceans and Big Blue & You, Plastic Free Cities was initially implemented in Miami-Dade County to help address the ongoing waste crisis.

More than 240 students across six school groups participated in a five-week training program, which educated students about plastic pollution, sustainable business and community engagement. These students hosted events to educate and inspire their broader community to reduce their plastic use. They also hosted cleanups to remove plastic and other debris from their neighborhoods.

Using their training, students visited more than 100 businesses across Miami-Dade County and provided resources and recommendations to help them reduce plastic in their business operations.  Ultimately, the students’ efforts helped prevent more than 1.2 million plastic items from being purchased and distributed annually across the county. The project operated in partnership with Miami-Dade County’s Plastic Free 305 program and was funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris Program. 

Orlando and Beyond

In 2024, the Plastic Free Cities program was one of 10 projects across the country to receive funding through National Sea Grant’s Community Action Coalition funding competition to expand the program to Orlando. In addition, the free and comprehensive Plastic Free Cities Curriculum allows teachers or student clubs to run the program themselves, anywhere in Florida.

Download the Plastic Free Cities Training Manual (English)

Find out how to put Plastic Free Cities into action in your area.

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Download the Plastic Free Cities Training Manual (Spanish)

Find out how to put Plastic Free Cities into action in your area.

Learn More

If you have questions about the curriculum or want to get involved with on-the-ground work in Miami, Orlando or the Tampa Bay region, please reach out to Maggie Winchester-Weiler, [email protected].