The bill defines a reusable carryout bag as a bag with stitched handles that is specifically designed and manufactured for multiple reuse and is made of: (1) cloth or other washable fabric; or (2) a durable material suitable for multiple re-use that is not made of plastic film. A plastic carryout bag is defined as a plastic bag that is provided by a retail establishment to a customer at the point of sale and is not a reusable carryout bag. Compostable plastic carryout bags are included in the ban because many are compostable only in an industrial facility and will not break down in the natural environment.
Both retail stores and restaurants are affected by the plastic carryout bag ban. The minimum 10-cent charge for other carryout bags applies to stores and to take-out orders and home delivery of restaurants. The Council dropped the 10-cent minimum charge for single-use paper bags at sit-down restaurants and restaurant drive-through windows.
In passing the Better Bag Bill, Prince George’s County joins eight other local jurisdictions in Maryland that have banned plastic carryout bags and incentivized reuse – College Park, Easton, Greenbelt, Laurel, Salisbury, Baltimore City, Anne Arundel County, and Baltimore County.