Miami Herald: Raise The Bar
MIAMI HERALD
Student recycling activist raises the bar in Miami Beach
BY DEBRA K. LEIBOWITZ
South Beach resident Neha Patel (pronounced
”Nay-Ha”) saw a strong need for increased
recycling in Miami Beach — and the 24-year-old
decided to do something about it.
Patel, a third-year student at the University of
Miami Miller School of Medicine, received a $1,000 grant from Hands on Miami’s Starbucks Youth
Philanthropy Committee (www.handsonmiami.org) to create a pilot recycling program for local bars.
”Living on Miami Beach, I was appalled to see that recycling was not a part of the culture,” said Patel,
an Acadia native who moved to the Beach from Miami a year ago.
“And the most effective way to make a difference was to target bars, because they generate the
highest percentage of bottles and cans.”
Dubbed ”Raise the Bar,” Patel’s project is a joint collaboration between World Waste Services (WWS)
and the Environmental Coalition of Miami Beach (www.ecomb.org). Patel has volunteered with the
nonprofit ECOMB for the past six months.
The program kicked off April 22 (Earth Day) at four South Beach bars: Abraxas Lounge, Purdy Lounge,
The Catalina and Waxy O’Connor’s Irish Pub. Grant funds were used to provide each bar two
complimentary recycling bins for their bar area, plus an added incentive: 10 cents per can or bottle up
to $100. WWS donated a 96-gallon outdoor recycling bin to each bar — plus free recycle pick-up
through June 30 (a $500 value per bar).
”We want to show bars that it’s easy to recycle, economic to recycle and that it’s a benefit for the
community,” says Patel.
In the program’s first two weeks, Patel says over 6,500 bottles and cans have been recycled.
”This is just the beginning. If recycling gains momentum across the Beach, the potential is staggering,”
she said.
To learn more, contact Patel at 786-385-8785 or via e-mail at [email protected].
SURFSIDE ART HUNT
The third annual ”Parents Hunt for Art,” hosted by the Surfside Business Association, is underway
through Saturday at businesses along Harding Avenue between 94th and 96th Streets.
Area businesses are displaying approximately 175 pieces of watercolor art created by students (grades
