Want to help reduce plastic waste in South Florida? Here’s what you can do.

There’s no denying that plastics are bad for humans, animals, and the climate. As a fossil fuel product, plastics account for 3.4 percent of global emissions — almost as much as all of the African continent. While politics and large corporations can play the biggest role in reducing plastics with more sustainable products, research shows that individual actions do make a difference, and that they can help inspire others.

Here are some things you can do to help reduce plastics right here in South Florida.

• Help clean trash from a South Florida beach or park – like Gabriella Wright, a 16-year-old from Hialeah who’s been active in cleanups since she was 6. “I feel amazing. It’s just relaxing and calming,” she told us after a recent cleanup at Margaret Pace Park. You can find dates and locations that work for you here.

• Enjoy snorkeling or scuba diving? You can inquire about joining a coral reef cleanup with Debris Free Ocean.

• Support South Florida businesses that have already eliminated or reduced single-use plastics. You can find a list and a map on Plastic Free 305.

• If you run a business, you can start by auditing how much plastic you use, and think about what you could reduce or replace.

• Use refillable bottles, package food in reusable containers or biodegradable wraps, like wraps made from cotton and beeswax.

• Instead of buying new clothes, think about hosting a clothes swap with friends or family. Clothes you no longer wear will find a new home, and you’ll walk away with some new pieces of clothing.

• Whenever you can, opt for clothing that made from natural materials like cotton or linen – not only more breathable, but they aren’t made from fossil fuels, like polyester or nylon.

• Join “buy nothing” communities online, or shop for second-hand, pre-loved items.

Have you had success in reducing your own use of plastics, or know of another South Florida effort you’d like to share? Let us know about your experience by sending a message or a video to climate@miamiherald.com

This climate report is funded by Florida International University, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the David and Christina Martin Family Foundation in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald retains editorial control of all content.

This story was originally published November 19, 2024 at 5:30 AM.

Denise Hruby

Miami Herald

Denise Hruby is a climate reporter who joined the Miami Herald in 2024, after completing a Nieman Fellowship at Harvard. A native Austrian, she worked as a reporter, editor and correspondent in Southeast Asia, China, and Europe, and won numerous awards for her features, investigations and reporting on the environment. She is a National Geographic Explorer and has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, and National Geographic Magazine.