More Flavor Less Plastic
Why is Plastic Pollution Harmful?
Fort Lauderdale is known for its beautiful beaches, miles of canals, and access to marine life. It is what makes our community so unique but also so vulnerable to plastic pollution. Plastic pollution can have several detrimental effects on Fort Lauderdale:
1. Pollution to Waterways and Wildlife: Plastic waste often ends up in our waterways, beaches, and oceans. This harms wildlife and disrupts ecosystems, as plastic can take hundreds of years to decompose and can release harmful chemicals into the environment. Plastic has already been detected in the stomachs of 30% of our sea turtles and 90% of our sea birds.
2. Health risks: Plastic waste can pose a health risk to people, as it attracts pests and disease-carrying insects, and can also release harmful chemicals into the environment. For example, certain plastic waste can release toxic chemicals such as PFAS, the forever chemical which our water treatment plants cannot remove.
3. Resource depletion: Plastic items require a great deal of energy, fossil fuels, and water for production and disposal. This can contribute to resource depletion and climate change, as well as other environmental problems like deforestation and water scarcity.
4. Litter: Single use plastic not properly disposed of can end up in our streets, public spaces, and waterways. In addition, to the above impacts, property values can decrease when litter accumulates.
More Flavor Less Plastic Campaign
The City of Fort Lauderdale has joined global efforts to raise awareness about the impact of plastic on the environment. More Flavor, Less Plastic is a community-wide initiative to eliminate plastic straws and reduce other single use plastics, such as utensils, beverage and take out containers.
What the City Has Done
As part of its plastic reduction efforts, the City of Fort Lauderdale has enacted two ordinances:
Plastic Straw Ban
The City of Fort Lauderdale has passed an ordinance to ban the sale and distribution of single-use plastic straws Code of Ordinances Section 16-140. Starting in July 2019, businesses may provide plastic straws only upon request; and, as of January 2020, businesses may no longer provide plastic straws.
Polystyrene Ban
On November 17, 2020, the City of Fort Lauderdale passed an ordinance banning the use and distribution of polystyrene on City property and in City facilities. (Code of Ordinance Section 16-151).
What You Can Do
Businesses and residents are encouraged to commit to eliminating and/or reducing the following single use plastic items: