We want to take a moment to highlight all the great work that the Big Blue Crew has done over the past few months. The Big Blue Crew is a team of youth advocates from all across the globe who have joined forces to protect the oceans of the world.

In June, students from the Environmental Club at Design Architecture Senior High (D.A.S.H.) signed up to join our Big Blue Crew. These dedicated and passionate students got involved with the Shores Forward Initiative which is a partnership with Ocean Conservancy & City of Miami Beach. Big Blue & You was invited to get involved and inspire change in the City of Miami Beach.

On at least four different occasions, students prepared, planned and strategized specific areas of businesses to target. Students entered businesses, mostly restaurants and hotels, and asked to see the decision makers. It was important to discuss this initiative with people who were empowered to make decisions because the goal of the program was to change behavior that may be endangering the environment. Once speaking with the managers, the students would inquire to see if these establishments used plastic straws or had swapped to paper alternatives. At the culmination of the project, students will create presentations and share what this experience has meant to them.

The primary goal of this project is to get as many businesses as possible to sign up for a program called Plastic Free MB. Plastic Free MB is an initiative working to encourage business owners to take action by reducing the amount of plastics they use at their establishments. Since its launch following World Ocean Day, more than 100 businesses have joined the Plastic Free MB program. Plastic Free MB helps organizations learn more about plastic waste and how to properly implement better practices in the area of environmental stewardship. The program actually has three levels of participation to reduce plastic. A business can select which level to participate based on their current plastic use and practices. 

The Big Blue Crew went door to door not only to gain information about local businesses and their plastic consumption, but to get to know the community and educate these establishments about the importance of using sustainable products such as paper straws, bamboo cutlery, and paper to-go ware. 

The Crew visited 65 businesses and successfully convinced 13 new businesses to sign up for Plastic Free MB. Over 40 of the businesses promised to make the switch to sustainable products within the next few months! The ultimate goal of the Big Blue Crew is to have every Miami business committed to sustainability by reducing or eliminating the use of plastic.

These #PlasticFreeMVPs continue to inspire and remind us how important it is to have youth advocates leading the way to cleaner oceans. From nonprofit organizations to students to government officials, this has been a collective effort to create a more sustainable Miami Beach. This is a fantastic demonstration of people from all walks of life coming together for an important cause!