Victory! On January 23, 2018, the Surfside Beach City Council voted 6-1 to ban single-use plastic bags. The ordinance mandates that all businesses must provide reusable bags or recycled paper bags to customers instead of plastic. It also does not allow plastic bags to be given out at town-sponsored events or events held on Surfside Beach property. The ordinance goes into effect on June 1, 2018.
A statewide preemption bill still lingers at the state level which if enacted before the June 1 implementation date, could effectively undercut Surfside Beach's new law. To learn more about the battle against state preemption, check out the Surfrider Coastal Blog and learn how we are fighting against these policies that take away the opportunity of local municipalities to make their own decisions.
https://www.surfrider.org/coastal-blog/entry/surfrider-charleston-on-the-front-lines-of-the-battle-against-plastic-pollu
https://www.surfrider.org/coastal-blog/entry/court-battles-on-plastic-pollution-ordinance-preemption
