Montgomery County—s reusable-bag rule takes effect; county outlines fees, exemptions and outreach
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Summary
Montgomery County—s "bring your own bag" legislation took effect Jan. 1, 2026. County environmental staff say stores should offer reusable bags or paper bags for 10 cents, with exemptions for SNAP recipients and certain purchases; outreach has included nearly 25,000 distributed reusable bags.
Montgomery County—s new reusable-bag policy, aimed at reducing single-use plastics, took effect Jan. 1, 2026, county environmental staff told listeners on the Spanish-language program En Sinton—fa.
Ana ("Anita") Arriaza, a community outreach specialist with the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, described the model: shoppers are encouraged to bring reusable bags, stores may offer paper bags for a 10-cent fee, and people using SNAP benefits will not be charged the 10-cent paper-bag fee. Arriaza said some municipal exceptions and specific purchase types (for example, medicines and some farmers markets) can still permit plastic bags under local rules. "Si estamos viendo cosas que son noticias negativas o cosas que no nos est—an aportando nada, tengan en cuenta que les va a llegar m—s," Arriaza said while explaining the law—s behavior-change goals.
Marcela Rodr—guez Villagr—an, the program host, noted the County Council approved the legislation on Feb. 11, 2025, and that Councilmember Kate Stewart introduced it. The broadcast did not provide an ordinance number; the County website is cited as the place for full text and municipal-specific details.
Arriaza said the county has distributed nearly 25,000 reusable bags in the previous three to four months through events and county offices and is working to place more pickup points (for example, libraries and other community sites). She urged residents to consult the county website and to call 311 (multilingual assistance available) to report supermarkets that still offer plastic bags where the ordinance applies.
Arriaza also encouraged practical steps to form the habit of carrying reusable bags, such as storing bags by the door or in a vehicle. She added that new asthma parent-education groups and other health programs are available through community health partners, and she pointed listeners to county resources for more information.
The broadcast included local-language outreach details and a phone number for county services, and it emphasized that the law—s exact application can vary by municipal code within Montgomery County.
