ST AUGUSTINE BEACH, Fla. — Local attorney Jane West is hoping the third time is the charm for the proposed ban on plastics and other non-biodegradable products she’s once again floating before city commissioners in the City of St. Augustine Beach.
The ordinance, which is up for a first reading March 4, would apply to retail use of plastic bags and also prohibit grocers, restaurants and other local businesses from giving customers Styrofoam packages and/or plastic straws. Publix on A1A Beach Boulevard falls within city limits; the Winn-Dixie on State Road A1A does not. Shoppers would be required to bring their own reusable bags or accept paper ones from the store.
West — with support of the environmental watchdog group North Florida Coastal Caretakers — has pushed for the measure over the last three years in St. Augustine Beach.
“There wasn’t really the appetite to adopt it,” West told The Record on Wednesday.
But with the success of month-long voluntary bans like the one initiated by the city last April, West believes there may be more support for a permanent ban. West said there wasn’t much opposition at a recent public hearing on the issue.
“I think it’s just the opposite; I think there is more awareness now,” West said, adding, “I think people do not like going to restaurants where Styrofoam is being used.”
Some area businesses are already choosing to stop using products that are not recyclable or could damage marine life.
On Feb. 4, the City Commission voted unanimously to implement the voluntary ban again in April even as it considers moving the ordinance forward.
Green products are often more costly than plastic-based ones, and that cost is a concern to Peter Darios, owner of the Sunset Grille.
If enacted, the ban would give businesses one year to switch over to environmentally friendly products.
First-time offenders would be charged a fine.
Over the past year or so, other municipalities have adopted similar legislation. West said the ban for St. Augustine Beach is modeled after one passed by the City of Coral Gables in 2017.
Meanwhile, Sen. Travis Hutson (R-St. Johns) has introduced a bill to the Florida Legislature that would effectively ban local governments from enacting all-out bans on plastics. Hutson’s SB 588 would allow for businesses to offer single-use plastic straws to customers if they ask for them, as well as make self-serve straw dispensers available.
In a phone interview with The Record Wednesday, Hutson said, “We see a lot of cities banning plastic straws, mostly in South Florida, and I think it is an unnecessary burden on the business itself. ... I don’t think any government can mandate how a business can operate as long as it gives customers choice.”