Museum of Ice Cream hit with a $1,000 fine over those Instagrammable sprinkles

The sprinkle ball pit at Miami’s new Museum of Ice Cream outpost may look like innocent, Instagrammable fun, but the city of Miami Beach sees it as something more sinister. The city is taking action against the museum’s little plastic (not edible) sprinkles, according to the Miami New Times, due to their propensity to wash into oceans and waterways.

It all started when a local environmentalist pulled out a phone at 3400 Collins Avenue and filmed a streetful of sprinkles that apparently fell off museumgoers' clothing. "There are little plastic sprinkles all over the place," he said.

The Miami New Times reports that once the City of Miami Beach became aware of the problem of the sprinkles causing marine debris, it took action. The city issued a "courtesy notice and a sanitation violation to the Museum of Ice Cream for creating an environmental hazard,” which is a violation that comes with a $1,000 fine.

The Museum of Ice Cream didn't respond to the Miami New Times about the matter. But city spokeswoman Melissa Berthier said changes are happening with the ballpit, including better cleaning measures and changing the location of the pool to the beginning of the tour — so that those sprinkles stay in the “sprinkle pool” instead of ending up at Miami’s beaches.

• Sprinkles at Museum of Ice Cream Deemed "Environmental Hazard" by City of Miami Beach [Miami New Times]
• Step inside the Museum of Ice Cream in Miami Beach [Curbed Miami]
• Are we having fun yet? [Curbed]