Victory! St. Pete passes single use plastics ordinance.

Yesterday the St. Petersburg City Council took decisive action to reduce single use plastics. A big thank you to those of you who sent a letter to the St. Petersburg City Council in support of the new ordinance!

Yesterday the St. Petersburg City Council took decisive action to reduce single use plastics. A big thank you to those of you who sent a letter to the St. Petersburg City Council in support of the new ordinance! This is a great victory and it was made possible thanks to local citizens using their collective voices to advocate for change. Special thanks also to Council members Gina Driscoll, Darden Rice, Amy Foster, Charlie Gerdes, and Brandi Gabbard who voted in favor. As the Tampa Bay Times noted:

“For a city that relies so heavily on its waterfront, it’s a big step toward sustainability. Straws are one of the biggest polluters of coastlines across the world.”

The ordinance is an important first step in reining in a particularly harmful source of pollution to our waterways and wildlife. The truth is, nothing we use for a few minutes should pollute our environment for hundreds of years. The ordinance includes important exceptions for hospitals, nursing homes, other medical facilities and people with disabilities.

Thanks again if you took action, and above all thank you for being a Progress Florida supporter.

For progress,

Mark, Amy and the rest of the Progress Florida team

PS: If you like the work we’re doing, make a $15 contribution or more to Progress Florida today. It’s our job to mobilize the grassroots to fight for good ideas, like reducing single use plastics. This is important work, and our efforts are powered by supporters like you.