NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – City Council passed on second reading an amendment to an ordinance regarding plastic bags on July 6, 2022.
The amendment was made to allow reusable plastic bags with a thickness of 2.25 mils or greater. The amendment also allows retailers to continue using single-use plastic bags until October 1, 2022, to "allow retail establishments to expend their current stock of single-use plastic bags and transition to acceptable, alternative products."
The amendment was recommended by City administration to alleviate supply chain issues local businesses are experiencing. Several local and national businesses told City leaders that they were having trouble obtaining paper and reusable bags.
The second reading also included an amendment to revisit the issue in January, 2024, to give council, businesses, and the community an opportunity to work around supply chain concerns.
The ordinance restricting single-use plastic bags takes effect on October 1, 2022.
Documents concerning the amendment can be found here.
The single-use plastic bag ordinance was originally passed in 2019.