Heavier plastic bags, plastic utensils, straws, styrofoam cups and carry-out containers pose a significant long-term threat to our environment. Nearly 50% of Beaufort County is composed of salt marsh and tidal rivers and all too often, plastic and styrofoam products end up polluting our estuaries, where they can be ingested by wildlife or break down into harmful microplastic particles.
Help Beaufort County Reduce Plastic Waste
Beaufort County has created two surveys, one for consumers and another for business owners, to provide input to inform new policy to better regulate plastic and styrofoam items. The Conservation League strongly encourages you to take the Beaufort County Plastic Reduction Surveys to help our local decision-makers make changes to plastic usage and pollution in our area. The survey will be open until early April.
TAKE THE SURVEYS
Background on the Issue
The Conservation League garnered support for Beaufort County and the municipalities to prohibit plastic bags in 2018. However, soon after the law passed, “thicker” plastic bags emerged in stores across the region–marketed as reusable but still ending up as waste, this was an unintended consequence of the ordinance. Last year, many municipalities including the City of Charleston, Town of Mt. Pleasant, James Island, and Folly Beach clamped down their rules to remove the loophole that allows for these thick plastic bags.
Better regulations and enforcement will help remove thick and thin bags from the waste stream, increasing the lifespan of landfills and keeping our stormwater drains unclogged. We owe it to our wildlife—from our sea turtles to our shorebirds—to reduce plastic and styrofoam pollution. Now is the time for Beaufort County and the municipalities to adopt stronger policy.
Thank you for taking the time to complete the survey and stay tuned for updates as we work to improve the plastic ordinance for Beaufort County and the municipalities.