Montgomery County will phase out plastic shopping bags next year after the County Council voted to approve a controversial “Bring Your Own Bag” bill. The ban, which takes effect on Jan. 1, 2026, means that stores will only be able to offer paper bags and will have to tax them at 10 cents apiece (up from the current five cents). There will be some exceptions: Prescription drugs, dry cleaning and perishable items like meats can still be wrapped in plastic. And restaurant takeout bags will remain tax-free.
Barry Co
The entire grocery store is wrapped in plastic……
Coney
Does the new bag law include plastic bags for fruit and vegetables? Will we need to BYOB for them too?
Store Reporter
This is a good question that does not appear to have been clarified yet. Plastic bags will still be allowed for “perishable items,” so it’s possible that produce bags will be included in that category.