County Debates Fate of Produce Bags as Plastic Ban Nears Implementation
ROCKVILLE — With Montgomery County’s long-planned plastic carryout bag ban set to take effect January 1, an intense policy debate has emerged within county government: what to do about the thin plastic produce bags found in grocery store vegetable, fruit, and meat aisles. They fall into a distinct regulatory category that was not addressed in the bill, prompting last-minute discussions about whether they should be restricted or taxed and permitted for ongoing use.
With Councilmembers still maxing out Purell budgets, multiple sources say the central dispute is no longer about the bags’ existence. The raging policy debate centers around the issue of orientation.
County departments have reportedly split into factions. The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) insists the bags must be pulled over the top of the roll, calling it “the only method that reflects our shared sustainability values.” A spokesperson cited ease of tear, natural downward pull, and reduced wrist fatigue as reasons the forward-roll method is “the clear environmental choice.”
Opposing them, an equally organized bloc inside Planning and the Office of Public Information argue that under the roll is the only defensible option, emphasizing “tidiness,” “roll stability,” and “reduced feline appeal.”
The Council’s Produce Bag Orientation Working Group (PBOWG), formed last month to recommend the most comfortable, satisfying bag-dispensing experience for county residents, has yet to reach consensus. A draft policy to mount produce rolls horizontally on a gimbal and allow shoppers to individually select their preferred orientation was quashed by opponents who say minors should not be permitted to make that decision without parental supervision.
Newly elected Council President Natali Fani-González attempted to calm tensions after her election this morning. “We can get through this,” she said, "but we mustn't strain, we cannot push too hard. The end result must pass naturally."
