Mount Pleasant Magazine May/June 2018

49 www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.ILoveMountPleasant.com | www.BestOfMP.com feature attended, and a large number of local residents voiced their opinion, mostly in favor of the ordinance. Among them was Lia Colabello, who owns Plastic Pollution Solutions, a company that helps organizations reduce their plastic footprint by educating and communicating with employees and business partners. She pointed out that 380 million metric tons of plastic are being produced annually, a number that is expected to double in 20 years. Colabello said plastic products are easily replaceable. For example, straws can be made of paper or reusable metal; paper boxes can be used instead of plastic foam; and paper bags, reusable bags and cardboard can take the place of plastic bags. “Plastic is an amazing material. The question is: How are we using it?” she said. “We’re not using that resource properly. It all comes back to humans being affected by plastics. Will policymakers see that and how will they prioritize? That’s the question.” Several products are exempt from the provisions of the ordinance, including surfboards, boats, life preservers and craft supplies that are encased in a more durable material and coolers “not principally composed of polystyrene/plastic foam.” Some construction products are OK, as are dry cleaning bags and bags used for door hangers, garbage, newspapers and pet waste. Bags provided by physicians, dentists, pharmacists or veterinarians for prescription drugs and other medical necessities also are acceptable, as is plastic used to wrap frozen foods, meat, fish, flowers, potted plants, bakery goods or meat trays. In addition, the Council’s Public Services Committee may grant a business an exemption of up to one year if the ordinance “would create an undue hardship or practical difficulty not generally applicable to other persons in similar circumstances.” “We’re not trying to hurt local businesses,” Owens stated. “We don’t know what they have in place and what they can do or can’t do. We owe it to businesses to give them every opportunity to get on board with this ordinance.” “I believe my generation is accountable for the amount of plastic in our environment. We should take the responsibility to clean it up. We owe that to our children and our grandchildren,” Owens concluded. Wholefoods Shopping Center 893 Houston Northcutt Blvd, Mt Pleasant, SC 29464 10-7 weekdays | 10-5 Sat. | 12-5 Sunday 843-442-4445 cryoevolution.com Cryo EVOLUTION Next Generation Recovery