On September 13, 2016, Folly Beach passed an ordinance to prohibit retail distribution of single-use plastic shopping bags as well as foam coolers and takeout wares to decrease litter and ocean pollution.
The ordinance would require that all retail establishments and food vendors only provide recycled paper bags or reusable bags as checkout bags for customers, and would also restrict the sale of foam coolers.
The ordinance was introduced by the Charleston Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation and the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League in an effort to protect the pristine Folly Beach environment. Single-use plastic bags are detrimental to the environment, acting as an eye sore on salt marshes, and harming wildlife such as threatened and endangered sea turtles.