Sustainability board urges six code changes and three operational steps to cut single-use plastics on city property

A sustainability board representative told the Fort Lauderdale City Commission on Tuesday that the board is recommending nine measures—six ordinance changes and three operational steps—to reduce the city's reliance on single-use plastic products at city properties and events.

"We are bringing you our recommendations today," Aida Nasimi said, urging the commission to receive the recommendations and direct staff to advance them. The board asked the city to: regulate single-use food-service items at city events and vendor-permitted activities, require compostable or reusable alternatives; prohibit unencapsulated polystyrene in floating docks, platforms and buoys at city facilities; codify the existing glass-container ban on the sandy portion of public beaches; expand the city's public-straw ordinance to include stirrers with a hardship waiver for small businesses; reinforce polystyrene rules with documentation, clear consequences and public signage; and ban intentional outdoor releases of balloons, confetti and glitter.

Glenn Hadwin, the city's sustainability manager, told commissioners that some administrative actions—such as updating vendor agreements and purchasing language, and expanding education and outreach—could be done "in the next six months to a year," while ordinance work would likely take a year or longer.

Commissioners pressed staff on details. "If someone can't afford to do it in their business, you want us to exempt them," one commissioner asked about the proposed hardship waiver for small businesses. Sylvia Duque Anas, the city's sustainability coordinator, said the exemption would be evidence-based: a business could request relief by demonstrating financial hardship, and staff reviewed similar waivers in other Florida ordinances to craft a practical approach.

The commission also debated the board's recommendation to formalize an existing ban on glass containers on the sandy portion of beaches. "Glass is a hazard for safety—not only for people, but for animals," Duque Anas said; Parks Director Carl Williams confirmed that glass containers are currently prohibited in city park rules, and staff can propose language to codify that practice.

Staff and the board emphasized that the recommendations are limited to city property, contracts and events and are written to stay within the city's authority. "We know the state preempts citywide bans," Nasimi said, adding that implementation is intended to be phased with an emphasis on education first.

Commissioners generally praised the package and asked staff for timelines and ordinance language. Hadwin said staff will begin administrative changes quickly; commissioners requested return briefings and draft ordinance language for the commission to consider.

The commission did not adopt formal ordinance language at the session but received the board's recommendations and directed staff to continue work toward implementation.