Watch webinars for answers on Montgomery County's new Carryout Bag Law

Starting January 1, 2012, retail establishments in Montgomery County, Maryland which provide plastic or paper bags to customers are required to charge 5-cents a bag. Shoppers can avoid the charge—and help reduce litter in the County—by bringing their own bag for purchases.

Montgomery County’s Carryout Bag Law (8-11) is a low-cost incentive to

• encourage shoppers to use reusable bags,
• refuse bags for their purchases, and
• encourage retail cashiers to ask whether a bag is even needed.

Plastic bags are consistently one of the top items found in studies of litter in Montgomery County. This Law is intended to help reduce litter in our waterways, on our streets and in our parks. Proceeds from the Carryout Bag Law go exclusively to programs that fight litter and provide stormwater pollution control in Montgomery County.

The Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Finance are jointly hosting free half-hour Webinars to help retailers understand the County's Carryout Bag Law requirements and receive answers to their questions without leaving their workplace.

To learn more about the Carryout Bag Law, including the webinar schedule and fact sheets for residents and retailers, visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/BAG

Have questions on the Carryout Bag Tax or on the webinar content? E-mail the Department of Environmental Protection or dial 3-1-1 (240-777-0311 outside Montgomery County, MD).