Mobile Baykeeper Launches Plastic Reduction Campaign

Mobile Baykeeper has kicked off an initiative to reduce single-use plastic in Downtown Mobile and help protect local waterways. The nonprofit is hoping to enlist downtown businesses and restaurants to switch to more ecologically friendly materials, while helping them “find innovative solutions that help the business community serve customers,” Elizabeth Stevens, president of partner Downtown Mobile Alliance, explained. Businesses that join the program will have their brand promoted by all participating organizations, which also include the City of Mobile and Plastic Free Gulf Coast. The latter has also sourced and tested a variety of products participants may need to make the move from plastic. The program is part of a “Reduce the Use” federal grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and within a broader anti-litter initiative being promoted by the City of Mobile. Mobile Baykeeper plans to host ongoing cleanups in and around downtown, and install gamified trash cans and works of art created from repurposed litter.