FOLLY BEACH, SC (WBTW) – On Tuesday Folly Beach City Council passed the second in a set of new ordinances banning specific items that raise a potential risk to the environment.
Begining on the first day of 2017, beachgoers will no longer be allowed to bring plastic bags or Styrofoam coolers to the beach. The ordinance also bans Folly Beach businesses from distributing these items to their customers.
“We saw the damage that non-recyclable plastic bags and Styrofoam were inflicting on our most valuable assets, the beach and ocean, and we are committed to protecting these assets and being good stewards of our environment. We hope that this is the first step of many for a more sustainable way of life,” Lewis Dodson, President of the Folly Association of Business said.
The ordinance was proposed by Councilman DJ Rich, but was was passed with help from the The Folly Beach City Council, local businesses and several research entities. City council worked with the South Carolina Aquarium, Surfrider Foundation and the Coastal Conservation League to determine the impact of these items. These groups agreed that plastic and Styrofoam were taking a profound toll on sea- life, as well as other wildlife that lives near the sea, and that it was in great interest of the community to make a change.
While similar ordinances have been implemented in several communities nationally, Folly is among the first to take these ordinances a step further in an effort to protect the waterways.
For the next few months, Folly will work toward educating the public and local businesses about the new laws.
For more information about Folly Beach’s new ordinance and the items that are banned, please go to VisitFolly.com, find them on Facebook at Visit Folly or download the free ‘Visit Folly’ smart phone app.
