GARDEN CITY, S.C. (WBTW) – It’s named Garden City not ‘Garbage City’ for a reason.
High tides were not the only thing washed up during the hurricane.
Cigarettes, broken bottles, hangers, plastic culinary, and sunglasses were a few of the many items once littered and recently returned by the ocean on Garden City Beach during Hurricane Dorian.
Some say “washed up” and others say “intentionally thrown.”
“Mother nature has thrown it back to us,” Garden City Resident Jenny Hanna said.
Jenny grew up visiting Garden City Beach for many years and became a resident five years ago.
A quick golf cart ride down the street, Jenny visits Garden City Beach on a regular basis, often with a beach chair, towel, camera, and two bags.
“I bring two bags with me. One to collect the beautiful shells in and one to collect the ugly trash in,” Jenny Hanna said.
The amount of trash often outnumbers the shells on Garden City Beach.
Following Hurricane Dorian, a magnitude of exploded trash accompanied hurricane water and now has residents voicing concerns in hope for Horry County to hear.
“Some of our beaches seem to have more beach patrol and more penalty’s for littering that we do not seem to have here in Garden City,” Jenny said.
Lack of patrol enforcement on Garden City beaches is one contributing factor to the amount of trash on the beach, tourism is another.
Like most surrounding areas, cities rely on tourism for much support.
“We love our tourists but at the same time we want them to treat our beaches with love and concern and care like we do,” Jenny said.
Garden City residents understand and appreciate the amount of tourism that comes in but asks visitors and tourists to treat the beach as if it was their home too and pick up trash.
Some nearly cities and communities have signs posted in nearly every direction beachgoers look to strictly enforce the “no beach littering” ordinance. Those signs clearly address large fines and some even address prison sentences.
Other beach accesses like Garden City’s Public Access 9 address littering rules in very small print on a significantly small sign in comparison to the others that surround it.
While most if not all city beaches have a no littering policy, the extent of officer enforcement, dollar amount in fines, the number and size of signs put up vary from city to city.
Some residents think if more fines and tickets were issued, it would eliminate a good amount of trash and a be step closer to seeing more shells than trash on the Garden City Beach sand.
