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County staff reports survey results in plastic-bag ordinance review; residents favor bag, clamshell and styrofoam restrictions
Summary
Staff presented interim findings from a public and business survey on the county's plastic-bag ordinance: 6,062 consumer responses and 138 business responses, with higher support for restricting bags and clamshells and preference for 'straws/utensils by request' policies for other single-use plastics.
County staff briefed the Natural Resources Committee on an ongoing review of Beaufort County’s plastic-bag ordinance and presented preliminary survey results showing strong consumer engagement.
The presenter reported that the county received 6,062 consumer survey responses and 138 business survey responses after outreach that included industry groups and a QR-code card distribution. Staff said the survey asked respondents which single-use plastic items to target and which regulatory approaches to prefer.
“Right now we got 6,062 consumer responses, which we were excited about, and 138 business responses,” the staff presenter said. Staff said that early trends show relatively greater public support for restrictions or bans on single-use plastic bags, takeout clamshell containers and styrofoam cups, while businesses and consumers expressed more support for a “by request” approach to straws and single-use utensils.
The presenter described outreach to other local jurisdictions, including Charleston County, and the formation of a working group that included county departments and citizen members. Staff said Charleston County conducted an extensive outreach effort and that its businesses were more receptive to “on request” rules for items like straws because those rules reduce business costs without an outright ban.
Staff said the survey period was extended to April 3 and that final analysis will be completed before the committee receives recommendations. Next steps are finishing the analysis and returning to the committee with recommended ordinance options based on the compiled results.
No vote was taken; the presentation was informational and the committee asked clarifying questions about next steps and outreach.
