The Beaufort County Council, in a 7-4 vote, this week passed an ordinance to ban all plastic carryout bags and disposable foam food containers for business establishments. Businesses may still provide plastic straws and cutlery, but only upon customer request. Officials say these amendments are in the "best interest of the citizens and residents of the county, human health, environment, critical infrastructure, and marine life."
Under the new ordinance, all business establishments must make reusable carryout bags or recyclable paper bags available to its customers. Business establishments within Beaufort can sell, rent, or provide any Styrofoam products to its customers unless they qualify for exemptions.
Exemptions include:
- Trash, pet waste, and yard waste bags; laundry, dry cleaning, newspaper, and door-hanger bags
- Bags from pharmacies or medical providers for prescriptions or medical items
- In-store bags for bulk items, raw meat, fish, frozen foods, flowers, or unwrapped baked goods
- Bags customers bring from home
- Food packaging required by state or federal safety regulations
- Nonprofit and school groups distributing food, clothing, or household goods
- Emergency services during declared emergencies
- Products made or packaged outside Beaufort County
- Construction foam products used under county building codes
A ban on single-use plastic bags was adopted in 2018. According to the county, since its adoption, the use of thicker plastic bags marketed as "reusable" have become more prevalent; however, critics say these thicker plastic bags contribute to the degradation of the environment in a similar way as single-use plastic bags.
Councilmember Logan Cunningham voted against the measure, saying it will ultimately harm small businesses.
He says amended ordinance will not stop grocery stores from selling these products; and that “the cost is between 3 to 5 times as much just going from Styrofoam to plastic and even more when you go to paper goods."
Councilmember Thomas Reitz echoed these sentiments, saying he spoke with many restaurant owners. He says he found that, "on Hilton Head alone, with one little organization, it will be a major $52,000 increase," for them to implement this new ordinance.
Other councilmembers suggested offering an incentive for businesses to follow the rules set out in the ordinance, rather than expanding the single-use plastic bag ban already in place.
There was a nearly two-year effort to assess potential amendments where local community organizations were brought in. According to the ordinance memorandum, the county received 6,200 responses from a county survey deployed to assess community and business perspectives on the five single-use plastic items: thick plastic bags, Styrofoam take out containers and cups, plastic cutlery, and plastic straws. the memorandum says the results indicated a "clear preference for banning plastic bags and Styrofoam products."
The new ordinance emphasized the failures of the 2018 ordinance, stating that thicker plastic bags hindered the recycling process, and that littered carryout bag overburdening landfills and stormwater infrastructure, as well as threatenied wildlife and the natural landscape. Officials say this newly amended ordinance will "protect the infrastructure and natural landscapes of Beaufort County."
The amended provisions will take effect in eight months.
