Landfill Plastic Bag Ban Postponed Again

Nov. 1 is the new date that Charleston County's ban on plastic bags for yard waste at the Bees Ferry Landfill begins, unless the County Council votes to defer it again or do away with it entirely.

The Council voted 5-3 last night during a Finance Committee meeting to extend the delay in implementing the ban another 30 days. It was originally supposed to begin on June 30, but the council moved that start date to Oct. 1 back in May.

The Post and Courier has more about the meeting and the vote here.

Meanwhile the City of Charleston and the St. Andrews Public Service District, which picks up the trash of between 7,200 - 7,500 businesses and residences in West Ashley, have been preparing for the ban since the beginning of the summer.

"Originally we printed up sticker to put on the roll-out cans telling people they could no longer use the plastic bags (for yard waste) after the end of June," St. Andrews PSD District Manager Charles Feather said. "But when they moved the start date we stopped doing that."

"The city has already passed an ordinance providing for residents to use the paper bags instead of the plastic ones when it was originally set for June," City of Charleston Media Relations Director, Barbara Vaughn said. "It's not been enforced yet, because we've been waiting for the county to come up with their policy on it."

Feather said the PSD had tested some of the 30 gallon paper bags and found that even through moderate rain events, the bags hold up well for a little more than a week once full and exposed to the elements, however after that they begin to break down and tear. The PSD provides weekly garbage and yard debris pick up.

Only loose leaves, grass clippings and other small bits of yard waste are required to be bagged, Feather said. Larger items like branches and stumps can be piled next to any bags on a business' or residence's scheduled pick-up day.

As of Wednesday both and Home Depot were selling 5-packs of the 30 gallon paper yard waste bags for $1.88. was offering 25-packs for $8.49.