The North Myrtle Beach Council adopted a resolution supporting the environment during its meeting Monday night, according to Pat Dowling with the city.
The resolution is ‘in support of a phased, long-term strategy to reduce non-biodegradable plastics in the environment’.
In its resolution, council said that the city’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism and in order to sustain that activity, members want to provide visitors with a ‘high-quality, clean, safe, environmentally responsible experience’.
Council says it supports a multi-pronged approach to the problem of reducing non-biodegradable plastics in the following way, according to the resolution:
- Provide more focused efforts on litter control and cleanup, and proper dispoal of non-biodegradable plastics through a campaign of education and community cleanup drives.
- Work aggressively to lobby for local control of this and similar issues, and opposing any State legislative initiatives that would hinder such control.
- Expand community education initiatives highlighting the threat to our environment imposed by non-biodegradable plastics, and providing resources for citizens to help them find alternatives to such products.
- Work with the local business community to help them phase out the use of non-biodegradable plastics in their packaging and processing activities, in a manner that is cost-effective.
- Gradually phase in targeted local legislation dealing with certain sub-types of non-biodegradable plastics, such as single use plastic grocery bags for example, as alternatives become cost effective and readily available.