Three members of the Howard County Council introduced legislation this month to prohibit the use of certain single-use plastic by restaurants and retailers.

The Plastics Reduction Act aims to limit single-use plastic such as straws, stirrers and certain condiment packets in the county by requiring retailers and restaurants to supply alternatives to straws and stirrers and by asking before giving out condiment packets and plasticware to customers.

County Council member Christiana Mercer Rigby, who introduced the bill along with Chair Liz Walsh and Vice Chair Opel Jones, said the legislation is all about an incremental, thoughtful change in behavior.

Cailey Locklair, president of the Maryland Retailers Association, said Rigby reached out to the organization when drafting the legislation.

“We are thankful to her for speaking to us. [We are] supportive of upon-request legislation and are not opposing her bill,” Locklair said.

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