The ban on single-use plastic bags in Baltimore County starts November 1. While it hasn’t taken effect, Republican Councilman Todd Crandell is looking to make some changes.
Crandell said liquor stores and restaurants shouldn’t charge customers five cents for paper carryout bags. That’s one facet of the upcoming law which he wants addressed now.
“The law goes into effect late this fall,” said the District 7 councilman. “And businesses have to make plans on how they're going to react and reorganize to do what they need to do.”
Suzanne Richardson, with the Greater Baltimore Sierra Club, testified in opposition to the changes Tuesday. “The bill was only approved six months ago. Changes at this time would simply sow confusion,” said Richardson.
Other testifiers said that Bill 53-23 would diminish behaviors driving people to ‘think in a more ecological way.’ One resident, Beth Miller, said she opposed the amendments because she didn’t “want to remove [recyclable] plastic bags from the Chesapeake Bay for years to come.”
But Democratic Council Chair Julian Jones sees the issue differently, focusing on economic impacts of the five cent fee. He said the government shouldn’t nickel and dime citizens into environmentalism. “What exactly is the goal of making people pay for something when they don't have a choice? Are we trying to be punitive?”
Brendan Mahoney, government affairs manager, spoke on behalf of the Restaurant Association of Maryland (RAM). He said reusable bags pose food safety concerns. Mahoney also pointed to other jurisdictions that have exempted food service facilities from the ban.
“Our restaurants do not allow folks to use reusable bags because of potential cross contamination risks,” he said. “Customers might shop at a grocery store and carry raw beef or seafood and our restaurants don't know [if] those bags have been properly sanitized.”
Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski has also weighed in on the matter. In a post on X, formerly twitter, Olszewski said he would veto the bill which the council is expected to vote on Tuesday, Sep 5th.
