Banning plastic bags statewide will encourage shoppers to bring their own reusable bags to the grocery store, said the sponsor of a proposed ban.
“This just keeps that conversation at the forefront,” said Del. Todd Schuler, a Baltimore County Democrat.
Testimony on the ban in a House committee quickly became a debate of paper versus plastic, as grocery stores and retailers strongly opposed the measure.
Under Schuler?s proposal, stores would be required to use only paper or reusable bags. Violators would receive a $100 fine for a first violation, $200 for a second and $500 for subsequent violations.
Schuler said he was inspired by local measures in Annapolis and Baltimore City, neither of which have passed.
Plastic bags pile up in landfills, harm wildlife, clog boat propellers, and pollute the environment in their manufacturer, Schuler and other supporters said.
Although many stores such as Whole Foods Market have stopped using plastic, Schuler said legislation would prompt more shoppers to decline both paper and plastic in favor of their own reusable bag.
“I believe we live in too disposable a society,” Schuler told the committee Thursday.
Several jurisdictions around the world have initiated bans, including Bangladesh, France and Uganda, while others such as Germany and Sweden impose a tax on plastic bags, according to an analysis of the bill.
However, Jeff Zellmer, legislative director of the Maryland Retailers Association, said neither bag is good. “We have to encourage people to recycle,” he said.
Paper bags are more costly, require four times as much energy to recycle, and produce more air and water pollutants when they are manufactured, said Gregory TenEyck, Safeway spokesman.
