BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. — You probably know if you live in Baltimore County, your trip to the grocery store will soon have a whole lot less plastic; those bags will soon get the boot.
The 'Bring Your Own Bag' law is designed to do just that: encourage reusable bags and phase out plastic ones at retail stores except 'small' ones - with three or fewer locations operating solely in the county.
According to the law, those are exempt both from the plastic ban and from having to charge customers for every paper bag.
Another change to the new law could include liquor stores in that exemption.
Council Chairman Julian Jones is generally supportive of getting rid of plastic bags, citing the impact on the environment, but thinks a blanket ban would go too far.
That includes the five-cent surcharge for paper in liquor stores, which he wants in that 'exempt' category.
"Right now, the liquor stores, some of the small businesses have come to me, wanted to make it absolutely clear they do not want to charge five cents for a bag; in their words, they have been giving for 40 years," Jones explained.
Plastic bags are a big part of Ravi Pradhan's business: Padonia Liquors off York Road in Baltimore County; he uses different sizes for different products to give to customers.
Pradhan would rather not switch away from them.
"The hardest part would be serving the customer, with a twelve-pack of beer in a paper bag, would be very risky," Pradhan told WMAR.
The county council will vote on the liquor store exemption this October 16.
For stores that fall under the new law, there will be a 90-day grace period from when it takes effect on November 1.
