A Prince George’s County Council member says some businesses are wrongly charging the new bag fee at drive-through windows and some are charging more than intended.
The law banning plastic bags and adding a fee for paper bags took effect on the first of the year. Customers are charged at least 10 cents for paper bags at restaurants, stores and retailers. Exceptions include getting food at a drive-through window.
But Council member Krystal Oriadha says some businesses charge fees when they’re not really supposed to.
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“We have complaints coming in every day around this issue,” she said.
Businesses are allowed to charge at the window, but that’s not the intent of the law. Businesses are also allowed to charge more than a dime.
Oriadha says her effort to put a cap on the fee failed when the bill was passed last year.
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“We’re also getting complaints they’re not charging 10 cents,” she said. “Some places are charging up to 30 cents.”
The Better Bag Bill is meant to reduce plastic waste, protect waterways and encourage reusable bags. Unlike jurisdictions like D.C., for example, the county does not get a cut of the fee. All of the money raised goes directly back to the business to cover its costs.
Businesses can be fined up to $500 for violating the law after getting a warning first, and there’s a 90-day grace period while the law is being implemented.
Oriadha plans to introduce some amendments to the law next month. She wants to see the fee capped and the county get the money to pay for beautification projects.
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