North Myrtle Beach city council voted this week to hear an ordinance to ban single-use, carry-out plastic bags at retailers.

The ban would not affect the use of any styrofoam, plastic straws or cups. If passed, the ban would go into effect on January 1, 2021; three years sooner than initially proposed.

According to City officials, the enactment date was moved up because council felt it still provided retailers enough time to use their stock of plastic bags before having to make the switch to reusable, recycleable or compostable alternatives.

“Three tourism seasons would be enough for them to adjust an get ready for the ban,” North Myrtle Beach spokesman Patrick Dowling said. “Council members felt like they could cut it back to 2021 and there would still be ample time for the retailers who use the carry-out plastic bags to adjust.”

A bill was reffered to the South Carolina Committe of Labor, Commerce and Industry in January in an attempt to block local municipalities from enforcing plastic bans like this one. A similar plastic ordinance went into effect in Surfside Beach last summer.