Miami-Dade County, Florida Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Deputy Mayor Roy Coley unveiled the Department of Solid Waste Management’s (DSWM) Zero Waste Master Plan (ZWMP). The plan establishes a long-term roadmap to transform how materials are managed across Miami-Dade County through waste reduction, expanded recycling and organics management, increased waste diversion and the advancement of a more circular economy.
Developed through an extensive public engagement process involving municipalities, businesses, environmental organizations, community members, technical experts and county departments, the ZWMP identifies 31 coordinated strategies that will guide implementation over the coming years. Together, these strategies are designed to conserve natural resources, preserve valuable landfill capacity, strengthen environmental stewardship, support economic opportunity and improve the County’s long-term resilience.
Seated from left to right at the unveiling of Miami-Dade County’s Zero Waste Master Plan are Aneisha Daniel, PhD, Miami-Dade solid waste director; Oliver G. Gilbert, III, Miami-Dade County District 1 commissioner; Miami-Dade deputy mayor Roy Coley; and Miami-Dade mayor Daniella Levine Cava.
The plan comes at a pivotal time for Miami-Dade County. Each year, the County generates more than 5 million tons of waste, while available landfill capacity continues to decline. Recognizing these challenges, Mayor Levine Cava established an ambitious goal of implementing this plan and diverting and recovering as much waste as possible from landfills by 2040. The ZWMP provides the comprehensive framework needed to achieve that vision by expanding beyond the traditional principles of reduce, reuse and recycle to embrace strategies that also encourage residents, businesses and institutions to refuse, redesign and reimagine how materials are used throughout their lifecycle.
Rather than serving as a standalone planning document, the ZWMP establishes a practical implementation framework that builds upon initiatives already underway across Miami-Dade County.
One example of the collaborative approach outlined is the county’s growing partnership with the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB), which is committed to helping the hospitality industry reduce waste generation, expand recycling opportunities, increase food recovery efforts, promote reusable service ware and advance sustainable business practices across one of Miami-Dade County’s most important economic sectors.
“People travel here from all over the world to enjoy the quality of life we experience whether it be access to fabulous beaches, exceptional waterways and our lush green spaces,” said GMCVB president and chief executive officer David Whitaker.
The ZWMP was developed in partnership with WSP, whose technical expertise and extensive stakeholder engagement helped shape the county’s long-term waste diversion strategy through public workshops, community meetings, surveys, technical analyses and collaboration with municipalities and industry partners.
As implementation moves forward, Miami-Dade County will continue engaging residents, businesses and community organizations to help implement the ZWMP and help make Miami-Dade a zero waste county.
Published August 2026
