North Myrtle Beach ban on single-use plastic bags in effect July 2022

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) - The North Myrtle Beach City Council unanimously voted in December to delay the start of the plastic bag ban until July 2022.

“On July 1, 2022, a restriction on “single-use” plastic bags will take effect within the City of North Myrtle Beach,” the city said in a released statement.

A previous postponement had Jan. 1, 2023, as the new start date for the city’s ban; however, after input from the community and discussion among council members, it was decided to cut the proposed year-long postponement to a six-month postponement.

With the implementation, North Myrtle Beach becomes the 15th community in South Carolina to require businesses to eliminate the use of plastic bags to help reduce pollution.

“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.”

Alternatives to single-use plastic bags:

• Paper bags may be an option
• No bags may be an option
• Reusable bags may be an option
• Charging a fee for paper or reusable bags may be an option

For more information about the ordinance, click here.

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