Local environmental group urges Jasper County to ban styrofoam and single-use plastic bags

JASPER COUNTY — Keep Beaufort County Beautiful co-chair Gene Zapfel presented survey findings and a draft ordinance approach that would ban styrofoam containers and plastic grocery bags countywide and shift utensils and straws to an "on request" model.

Zapfel told council the group gathered roughly 6,000 resident survey responses and 138 business responses (as reported in the presentation) that showed strong resident support for regulatory steps focused on food-service plastics. He said survey respondents favored eliminating plastic bags and styrofoam containers and were more cautious on banning utensils and straws outright, favoring an "ask-first" approach instead.

The group's proposal includes a firm cap on some local priority grant amounts, an eight-month ramp-up period after county passage to give small businesses time to adapt, and a plan to distribute start-up kits and pooled buying opportunities for eco-friendly alternatives. Zapfel said the amendment language has already been drafted and circulated to municipalities, and he expects the ordinance to go through county readings in March and April.

Responding to council questions, Zapfel clarified that the proposed bag ban targets grocery and retail food-service bags (not commercial trash bags) and said paper alternatives and other compostable products are part of the outreach and transition materials. He said the county will coordinate with municipalities so county ordinance provisions do not take effect until the towns enact comparable rules, and that Keep Beaufort County Beautiful will lead communications and implementation planning to ease the transition for businesses.

Councilmembers asked for more detail about cost impacts on small businesses and enforcement mechanisms; Zapfel said the group plans to offer sample kits and help businesses find competitive suppliers through a local consortium arrangement.