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Keep Beaufort County Beautiful maps outreach for new plastic bag ordinance
Summary
The board laid out a communications and education plan to support a recently passed county ordinance banning single-use plastic bags, focusing on positive branding, handouts at farmers markets and merchant decals, and an eight-month transition period for businesses.
Keep Beaufort County Beautiful board members on June 11 outlined a communications strategy to support Beaufort County’s recently passed plastic reduction ordinance, emphasizing positive messaging, merchant engagement and targeted outreach at farmers markets and stores.
Jean Zepfil, a board member, said the ordinance’s implementation will center on eliminating plastic carryout bags while keeping public messages upbeat. “The ordinance is just about no more plastic bags,” Zepfil said, adding that the group plans an eight-month transition and will focus on handing out reusable bags and informational materials at markets and selected retail locations.
The board discussed a set of outreach tools: branded handouts and stickers for water bottles, a small window decal to indicate merchant support, and informational tables at grocery stores and farmers markets. Zepfil and Jessica (online) will produce soft-copy drafts for review before the board’s August meeting and recommended targeted, positive visuals rather than technical messaging about other materials such as styrofoam.
Board members also weighed logistics for volunteer tabling. Zepfil described initial conversations with a regional grocery manager and said some stores were open to the idea of a staffed table or limited handing out of bags; the board will coordinate which stores to prioritize to reach residents across the county, not only Hilton Head.
The communications plan grew from a 27-page implementation document the board helped write with county planning staff and partner organizations. Zepfil said Keep Beaufort County Beautiful would lead implementation alongside county staff and groups including the Coastal Conservation League and Port Royal Sound Foundation.
The board agreed to finalize design options and to revisit printing quantities and distribution plans at the August meeting, when budget clarity for the next fiscal year may allow purchase orders to be issued. For now, the group will prepare draft materials and continue outreach planning.
