Plastic Bag Ban Enforcement, Reporting Scheme Begin Jan 1
ROCKVILLE, Md. — After unveiling its universally-embraced gas-leaf-blower photo-snitch policy earlier this fall, Montgomery County announced today that the exact same enforcement model will now serve as the backbone of its upcoming plastic bag ban starting January 1, 2026.
Members of the public are encouraged to take photos or videos of illegal plastic bag use and submit them through County’s new portal, BagWatch.MoCo.gov.
From Leaf Blowers to Leeks: The Snitching Evolves
In the leaf-blower ban, the County encouraged residents to take photos of workers using outlawed gas blowers. When that plan blew up, the County updated the code to rely on a minimum of five angry-face emojis on landscaper photos posted to Nextdoor.
To assist residents, the County published a simple three-step guide to the plastic bag ban enforcement scheme:
Bring your own bag.
If someone else doesn’t, photograph them.
Submit the evidence so we can fine them $500 for environmental justice.
Officials Defend Reporting Mechanism
Council President Kate Stewart, who strongly opposed using photographs to enforce the leaf-blower ban, now strongly supports using photographs to enforce the bag ban.
“It’s completely different,” Stewart said. “With leaf blowers, we could traumatize immigrant workers. With grocery bags, the worst we’re doing is upsetting Leisure World residents.”
Officials say they expect the rollout to be cleaner and more orderly than leaf-blower enforcement. "People in grocery stores tend to hold still long enough for a clear shot," Stewart remarked.
The county's Office of Management & Budget projects $19,800,000 in plastic bag citation revenue next year. The Council voted unanimously for one hundred percent of proceeds to fund the County's Public Campaign Financing Program.
