Gone are the days of free plastic bags.
Now it’s taxed paper bags, or BYOB — Bring Your own Bag.
That’s also the name of a new Montgomery County Council proposal with a goal to ban single-use plastic carryout bags.
The plan calls for raising the fee on paper bags from five cents to 10 cents in hope of reducing litter and plastic waste.
“We’re really struggling with the way we do our bag fee right now, so our goal is both one to advance our goals of reducing plastic bags that are in the county and to also help our local businesses,” said council vice president Kate Stewart, who is also one of the bill sponsors.
The county currently has a carryout bag five cent tax, but the new BYOB bill looks to build upon the current bag tax.
The legislation falls on the heels of the county’s inspector general report that found poor administration and implementation of the current county bag tax.
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“We are not collecting the money that we should be from our businesses, and so part of this bill also makes the process easier for our businesses,” Stewart said.
The money from the proposed 10 cent paper bag tax would be split into two parts: one half would go to retailers and the other half would go to the county’s water quality protection charge fund.
Under the plan there are some exemptions, including for those who rely on food assistant programs like SNAP and WIC.
The tax would also not apply to prescription drug bags, fruit and vegetable bags and bags used at restaurants.
The council is expected to hold a public hearing. An exact date has not been set.
