North Myrtle Beach Single-Use Plastic Bag Ban

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As efforts are sweeping across the country to stem the swelling tide of ocean and beach pollution, North Myrtle Beach soon will become the 15th community in South Carolina to institute a plastic bag ban.

On July 1, 2022, the ban on “single-use” plastic bags will take effect within the city limits. A single-use carryout plastic bag is defined in the city’s Code of Ordinances Section 12-111 as “a bag provided by a company or individual to a customer, typically at the point of sale, for the purpose of transporting purchases, which is made predominantly of plastic derived from petroleum or a biologically based source. This definition includes bags provided to a customer to transport items provided free of charge, including but not limited to, samples and informational materials.”

BYO Bag

Making the change from single-use plastic bags will not be easy, but the outcome will be worth it. Studies show 13 million tons of plastic makes its way into our oceans and waterways each year.

So, what does this mean to you and your business and what are the alternatives to single-use plastic bags?

  • Paper bags may be an option
  • No bags may be an option
  • Reusable bags may be an option
  • Reusable bags may be an option with or without an incentive
  • Charging a fee for bags is an option

Several businesses in North Myrtle Beach already have changed to paper bags or offer reusable bags for customer purchase. A few offer no bags, and some are beginning to add a fee for bags or carryout.

Now is the time to begin preparing for this July 1st change. Employee training about reusables will help ease the transition for consumers.

Over the next couples of months public service and paid advertising announcements will be released during local news programs to alert residents and businesses about the ordinance and provide information before the July 1 effective date. Also, representatives from Destination North Myrtle Beach will be visiting each business within the city limits to provide more information. Websites will provide information to businesses and residents.

Thank you for your attention to this new law. It’s a change in how you may do business. The real change, however, will happen in the results of eliminating plastics on our beaches and in the ocean and waterways.