Mayor Levine Cava Announces New ‘Plastic Free 305' Program at Baynanza Cleanup Event

Miami-Dade County's 40th Annual Baynanza cleanup event took place on Saturday at various locations along Biscayne Bay in celebration of Earth Day.

Special guests like Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Commissioner Eileen Higgins and Zoo Miami's Ron Magill all showed up to do their part.

HAPPENING NOW! 🚮#Baynanza is nothing without YOU, the volunteers working to clean 27 sites on #BiscayneBay. Even @ZooMiami’s @RonMagill showed up with his wife to pitch in! Thank you🙏. DERM celebrates 40 🥳 years of organizing this event for #EarthDay.https://t.co/AV2CxiNIWV pic.twitter.com/Wa55NcVE7c

— MiamiDade County RER (@MiamiDadeRER) April 23, 2022

The event began at 9 a.m., with Morningside Park serving as this year’s VIP location.

Baynanza is organized by the Miami-Dade County Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources, Division of Environmental Resources Management (DERM), with the help of thousands of volunteers.

The purpose of the event is to clean debris and litter from Biscayne Bay while raising awareness of both the beauty and challenges faced by this vital ecosystem, according to a Miami-Dade County news release.

The importance of preventing litter in waterways is central to Baynanza’s mission of teaching residents that everything they do, both in the water and on land, affects the health of the bay.

It’s official! @MayorDaniella and @CommishEileen attended #Baynanza, where they announced the #PlasticFree305 program in @MiamiDadeCounty, where local businesses will have tools to help them kick their reliance on single-use plastics! #EarthDay Info: https://t.co/UH9XKsimfV pic.twitter.com/QtQjT7k7O3

— MiamiDade County RER (@MiamiDadeRER) April 23, 2022

At the event, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Commissioner Eileen Higgins announced the new Plastic Free 305 program which will provide local businesses with tools to reduce their reliance on single-use plastics.

The program will give all residents of Miami-Dade County the opportunity to make a difference in the fight against plastic pollution in Biscayne Bay, the ocean and other waterways.

"Plastic Free 305 celebrates Miami-Dade County businesses dedicated to reducing or eliminating the purchase and use of single-use plastics through the adoption of reuse and sustainable replacement strategies," according to the Miami Dade County website.

The new program also continues the work of local environmental stewardship initiatives like Plastic Free Miami Beach and Greener Coral Way.             

Members can find and support Plastic Free businesses in the neighborhood by using the Plastic Free 305 Viewer.

To read more about the program, click here. If you're ready to apply, click here.