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Montgomery County holds public hearing on Bring Your Own Bag bill after months of advocacy
Summary
The Montgomery County Council held a public hearing on Bill 24-24, which would ban most single‑use plastic carryout bags and levy a 10¢ charge on most paper bags; speakers from environmental groups, retailers and residents debated exemptions, implementation and equity measures.
Montgomery County Council held a public hearing on Jan. 14 on Bill 24‑24, a proposal that would prohibit most plastic carryout bags provided by retailers and impose a 10¢ charge on most paper carryout bags at the point of sale.
Supporters said the measure is needed to reduce litter, microplastics and greenhouse‑gas emissions. Kit Gage, advocacy director of Friends of Sligo Creek, said, “We support the Bring Your Own Bag bill introduced by chair Kay Stewart and cosponsored by many others.” Dr. Vivian Thompson, a retired professor of environmental policy, told the council, “I support banning plastic grocery bags and raising the tax to 10¢ on paper bags.”
The bill drew wide backing from local conservation and watershed groups. Angie McCarthy, Maryland conservation advocate at Nature Forward, advised tightening exemptions for newspaper and produce bags and called for targeted outreach to SNAP and WIC participants. Chris Williams, president and CEO of the Anacostia Watershed Society, said the Anacostia watershed — which includes headwaters in Montgomery County — would benefit from reduced plastic litter.
Retail and business representatives urged clarification of implementation details. Sarah Price of the Maryland Retailers Alliance said businesses are concerned about operational challenges applying an exemption for food‑assistance recipients, noting point‑of‑sale systems differ across stores and that staff are prohibited from asking customers whether they are using benefits.
Residents and civic groups debated the bill’s reach and equity. Speakers representing Beyond Plastics Montgomery County, Oceana, Sierra Club and others cited studies tying plastic litter to environmental and human‑health risks and urged closing exemptions (farmers markets, produce bags, over‑sized items). Several speakers, including Diane Bild of Beyond Plastics, pointed to observational evidence from neighboring counties where bag bans sharply reduced single‑use plastic bag use.
Opponents raised concerns about convenience, enforcement and cost. Esther Wells, a resident, said the county had not fully remedied prior enforcement problems and called the bill a burden on residents facing higher taxes and bills. Others asked the council to consider exemptions for large or unusual purchases that do not fit reusable bags.
Council staff announced a T&E (Transportation and Environment) work session on Feb. 3, 2025, for further technical review and amendments. No final vote was taken at the hearing.
The hearing included dozens of public testimonies and written submissions; council members said they would consider tightening language on exemptions and clarifying how the SNAP/WIC exemption would be implemented before taking the bill to committee.
