Zero Waste Miami (ZWM), a coalition spearheaded by Miami non-profit Debris Free Oceans, aims to bring together various stakeholders, including non-profits, businesses, and government entities, to create a local economy that emphasizes reducing, reusing, repairing, recycling, and composting materials. The project’s objectives are to initiate circularity projects, distribute zero-waste resources, and develop a community-driven Zero Waste Strategic Plan for Miami-Dade County.
About the Coalition
Through this coalition we are bringing the diverse zero-waste players in the 305 to the table to harness our collective power, ensure we are aligned on Miami’s shift toward a sustainable infrastructure, and develop a strategic plan for achieving circular economy goals.
Coalition Members
ZWM is composed of 80+ individuals representing 60+ different entities.
Membership is free and gives you access to monthly meetings & communication channels. Membership is open to all stakeholders including but not limited to businesses, schools, governments, non-profit organizations, and passionate individuals.
Currently, only informal membership exists, but the coalition will be formalized through the development of a membership agreement, bylaws, & decision-making structure.
BECOME A MEMBER
Activities
1. Monthly Meeting Series
Our monthly meeting series unites the community to share updates, discuss circularity initiatives, and collaborate on actionable solutions.
2. Communication Channels
To maintain regular communication between coalition members, Debris Free Oceans manages a WhatsApp group chat and Google Group mailing list where resources are shared and meaningful connections are made. Additionally, we compile resources such as upcoming events, policy opportunities, and more which we share with our members in a virtual spreadsheet.
3. Workshop Series
Debris Free Oceans will be facilitating a robust 4-part workshop series with circularity service providers, circularity service users, and local government representatives and lawmakers to develop a Zero Waste Strategic Plan featuring high-priority circularity projects. The goal of these workshops are to identify barriers and methods to overcome them, successes and opportunities to scale, and equity strategies in circularity initiatives.
Connections
Connecting members of the community with one another to advance circularity initiatives is one of the primary intentions of the Zero Waste Miami Coalition.
Since January 2023, coalition members have made an average of 3 new connections each, showcasing the collaborative spirit that drives us forward. Some examples of connections sparked by our coalition include the Key Biscayne Community Foundation teaming up with Gradible to implement their #PlasticFreeKB initiative and Ultra Music Festival partnering with ReCreate Miami, resulting in the successful diversion of approximately 9 tons of material from the landfill during their 2024 event.
Funding
Zero Waste Miami was one of 10 projects across California, Florida, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Wisconsin, and Vermont to be recommended for funding through Sea Grant’s Marine Debris Community Action Coalitions competitive opportunity for fiscal year 2024-26. Debris Free Oceans and Florida Sea Grant are pleased to be recipients of this funding. You can read the official announcement and more information about the competition here.
Debris Free Oceans had received start-up funding from the Meringoff Family Foundation to begin building and conceptualizing Zero Waste Miami. These funds allowed us to host our first 2 quarters of monthly meetings, manage communication channels, and perform preliminary resource compilation. We are beyond grateful to the Meringoff Family for trusting in us to get this idea off the ground; we would not be here without your support!
We hosted our Zero Waste Miami Launch event in April 2024, which was attended by nearly 200 members of our community and featured a speech by Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniela Levine Cava. We would like to extend our thank you to the Brady Hunter Foundation for their generous donation that helped make this event extra special. You can relive the event here.
