At the May 23 meeting of the North Regional Planning Committee, staff reported preliminary results from countywide surveys on single-use plastics and polystyrene food-service items and said they will prepare a draft ordinance for council and municipal consideration.

Rob, who presented the survey findings, said surveys run between February and early April drew more than 6,000 consumer responses and 38 business responses. “What we learned from Charleston is it's not simply a question of banning an item. There are different levels of how an item is controlled or restricted,” Rob said, explaining the staff approach of pairing restrictions with outreach and a grace period for businesses.

Survey questions addressed plastic bags, polystyrene (“clamshell”) containers, polystyrene cups, straws and single-use plastic utensils. Staff reported early trends: strong public interest in restricting plastic bags and polystyrene clamshells and cups, and more support for “by request” approaches for straws and utensils. Rob said Charleston’s experience showed businesses often support “by request” or phased approaches because they reduce inventory burdens and costs, and that Charleston used grants and trial periods to help businesses transition to alternative packaging.

Staff told the committee they plan to finalize the survey analysis, draft an ordinance that reflects the survey trends (including phased or targeted restrictions), and coordinate the draft with municipalities. The presentation noted practical measures Charleston used that Beaufort-area staff are considering: a trial/grace period to allow businesses to exhaust inventory and obtain alternative supplies, grants to offset higher costs for compostable or paper replacements, and targeted outreach to food-service businesses.

No formal ordinance was introduced at this meeting. Committee members asked operational questions and made observed points about consumer behavior; one member noted that requiring straws be provided only on request would likely reduce waste because many customers are handed straws they do not use. Staff said the draft ordinance will return to council and to municipalities for consideration and that additional stakeholder consultation with businesses is planned.