Montgomery County aims to eliminate most plastic bags, tax paper bags

A Montgomery County, Maryland, bill would ban plastic bags from most retailers and levy a 10-cent tax on paper bags.

The Bring Your Own Bag bill was introduced by county council Vice President Kate Stewart from District 4 on Tuesday and co-sponsored by Natali Fani-Gonzalez of District 6 and at-large members Evan Glass, Will Jawando and Laurie-Anne Sayles.

Sidney Katz of District 3 asked to be added as a co-sponsor following Ms. Stewart's introduction of the bill at the council meeting. All six are Democrats.

The purpose of the bill, according to the meeting agenda, is to "promote a culture that encourages individuals to bring their own bag. As a result, it would reduce litter, plastic waste in the county waterways, and support a cleaner, healthier future."

If the bill becomes law, the current bag tax would be abolished for plastic bags, which would be banned at points of sale, pickup and delivery.

Exceptions would be made for bags used to package prescription drugs, newspaper bags, bags at seasonal events like street fairs, yard sales and farmers markets, bags used for bulk packaging of things like fruits, candy and ice, garment and dry cleaning bags, bags used for perishable or otherwise unwrapped food, and bags used to transport live animals out of stores.

The tax rise to 10 cents on paper bags has exceptions: for prescription drugs; wrapping live fish, mollusks, crustaceans and bugs; for leftovers at restaurants; and for food picked up at drive-thrus, delivered by a third-party service and bought at a food truck.

People on food stamps would be exempt from paying the tax, and businesses would be required to post notices telling customers to bring their own bags or to skip bagging their goods. As opposed to the current bag tax, where the county gets 4 cents for every plastic bag used, businesses would be able to keep 5 cents out of every 10 cents taxed for paper bags.

Violators of the proposed law would be given a written warning for their first offense, fined $500 for their first violation and $750 for a second violation.

If passed, the law would go into effect on July 1. A public hearing hasn't been scheduled to discuss the bill.