Beachfront Businesses Are Committed to Keep Our Beaches Clean
We are committed to providing excellent public service and safety to all who live, work and play in our vibrant, tropical, historic community.
City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33139, www.miamibeachfl.gov
OFFICE OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS, Tel: 305.673.7575 PRESS RELEASE
Tonya Daniels, E-mail: tonyadaniels@miamibeachfl.gov
Melissa Berthier, E-mail: melissaberthier@miamibeachfl.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 28, 2017
Beachfront Businesses Are Committed to Keeping Beaches Clean
-- Concessionaires and Hotels Are Working with City Staff to Make a Change --
Miami Beach, FL – City staff, beachfront concessionaires and leading hotel managers
are a force to be reckoned with. The organizations have partnered in an effort to reduce
the high volume of trash that builds on the beach by proposing to use reusable food and
beverage service items. Although many hotels have already adopted the
environmentally-friendly tableware, the group hopes to make it a requirement for all food
and beverage businesses on the beach to practice 100 percent reusable service.
The SLS South Beach is leading by example. Following the association’s inaugural
meeting, the five-star hotel is the first to go from a 75 percent commitment to solely
using reusable items relating to beachfront service.
“Our beautiful and pristine beaches are what bring business to our door,” shared SLS
Managing Director and Miami Beach resident Simon Sorpresi. “From an individual and
business perspective, there’s no reason why someone shouldn’t dedicate the time and
effort to care for such a valuable thing.”
In contrast to biodegradable items, reusable items leave behind zero trace on the beach
– cutting down a significant amount of the trash that inhabits the shore, piles up in bins
and makes its way into the water.
Investing in the serving pieces not only reduces the city’s carbon footprint, but saves
businesses money in the long run. The melamine tableware the SLS uses are especially
profitable featuring a trendy, practical design and porcelain-like material customers enjoy
and wait staff can easily recover for future use.
“This is the direction we hope to see all food and beverage service in the city work
towards,” expressed Miami Beach Maintenance Director John Ripple, who initially
approached Sorpresi to collaborate on a solution to the problem. “Through these open
conversations, we hope to offer our support and continue to inspire action.”
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