Richland County calling on residents to give feedback on proposed plastic bag ban

People can fill out surveys and take part in roundtable discussions this spring

RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. (WOLO) —If you live in Richland County, your voice could make a difference in whether the county chooses to ban single-use plastic bags.

County officials are seeking public feedback before the County Council can vote on a final version of the ban this summer.

The county’s newly-created Plastic Bag Task Force plans on presenting feedback from a series of roundtable discussions in the spring, as well as results from resident and business surveys, to the County Council this summer.

Some council members say public input is crucial before they decide to push the proposal to a decisive vote.

“We really never want to do anything this bag without knowing we have the full buy-in of the community. This will affect everyone, and so we want to make sure we are getting it right,” said Allison Terracio of the Richland County Council.

Even if the County Council passes the proposal, some say you won’t see changes in your local stores right away.

“It’s a very big change. It’s a big change for the business community. What most cities and counties around the country have done is once it gets final approval, that there would be a year or a year and a half before implementation so that there could be a very long and good lead time to get ready for that,” said Pam Davis, the Head of the Richland County Plastic Bag Task Force.

So far, Charleston and Beaufort Counties have passed their own versions of the ordinance, while the Town of Arcadia Lakes plans on enforcing their own ban in March.

Some environmental awareness group leaders say these actions are encouraging for the eco-friendly movement across the state.

“We are just excited that the conversation about solid waste and trash and what we as people do to the environment is being talked about. The more we know about what we buy and what we use, the better it will be for the planet,” said Sarah Lyles, the Executive Director of Palmetto Pride.

If you live in Richland County, you can fill out the surveys online or at the Richland County Administration Building until Global Recycling Day on March 18.

The roundtable discussions will begin this spring, and the task force will present their findings to the council this summer.