Plastic Free Cities

Empowering South Florida youth to tackle plastic pollution at the source - through advocacy, education, and community action.

Plastic Free Cities empowers youth activists at South Florida schools to protect the ocean by advocating for a shift away from single-use plastic. Through advocacy training, business outreach, and community cleanups, students engage upstream - where the waste begins - to prevent it from entering our ocean.

In partnership with Ocean Conservancy, Debris Free Oceans, and Miami-Dade County’s Plastic Free 305, this program gives students the tools to create real environmental change. Thank you to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for funding it, and to the incredible students who dedicate their time and effort to this important mission.

Measurable Change in Our Communities

In 2023, 57 students from four high schools earned 370 volunteer hours, increased their knowledge of plastic pollution by 40%, and boosted their public speaking confidence by 37%. As a result of this activism, Senator Rene Garcia announced a proclamation that recognized Plastic Free Cities for its contribution to making the community of Hialeah a safer and cleaner place to live, and Councilperson Bryan Calvo presented each of our graduates with a certificate of appreciation.

In 2024, the momentum grew. 251 students engaged with 99 local businesses, enrolling 11 in the Plastic Free 305 program and helping divert an estimated 1.2 million single-use plastic items annually. They also reached over 4,000 community members, showing the power of youth-driven change.

Amplifying Youth Voices in Doral

Plastic Free Cities student Angela Ucros from Downtown Doral Charter Upper School shares her experience and insights on Doral Voice, highlighting the program’s growing impact in her community. Watch the interview! (En Español)

Want a copy of our Plastic Free Cities Training Manual?

Mentor Spotlights

“I joined Plastic Free Cities, within the Hialeah cohort and developed the mentorship group to lead and work with new cohorts in understanding the concepts and canvassing. I love working with every single individual and getting to meet them and learn about their perspectives on plastic pollution and the sustainable world that we surround ourselves in.”
“I am interested in participating in ocean and environmental sustainability because I want the environment to be cleaner and use less plastic day to day! One ocean memory that I had was when I did a beach clean up and helped the beach that was very polluted with trash.”
“I have always had a passion for plastic and sustainability. I used to live in an island and experienced first hand these issues. My favorite ocean memories are swimming in the ocean and snorkeling, seeing the animals and water!”
“My favorite memory related to the ocean was when I was about five years old and I released baby turtles that were rescued, since then I knew that I really liked the ocean.”
“I cleaned up a beach with my friends and the plastic we picked up we used to work on a sustainability project in our art class, where we used that plastic to make a piece of art. It helped me turn it into something beautiful rather than harmful to health.”