Training: 2026 re-survey of MoCo Shoppers' bag use
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Date and Time:
Thu, Apr 23, 2026; 7:00 PM
- 8:30 PM
(Eastern)
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04/23/2026 7:00 PM
04/23/2026 8:30 PM
America/New_York
Training: 2026 re-survey of MoCo Shoppers' bag use
Help conduct a re-survey of the types of carryout bags used by shoppers at grocery stores in Montgomery County, to measure the change in shopper behavior from the County's new "Bring Your Own Bag" policy went into effect in January 2026. This training will review the protocols for counting shoppers, how carryout bags are classified, changes in the form, and how to record the results.
Webinar URL:
39.08640300,-77.15259500
Martha Ainsworth
martha.ainsworth@mdsierra.org
MM/DD/yyyy
amOUuwqNAzpGSXwtHmnd12740
Organized By: Montgomery County Group
Location: Virtual
Event Organizers:
Martha Ainsworth
martha.ainsworth@mdsierra.org
240-696-9056
Carrie Witkop
carriewitkop@gmail.com
Help us re-survey shoppers' carryout bag use at grocery stores in Montgomery County to measure the impact of the County's "Bring Your Own Bag" bill that was launched in January of this year! When Sierra Club volunteers surveyed stores at the main grocery chains last fall, HALF of shoppers were still using single-use plastic carryout bags, despite the 5-cent tax on plastic and paper carryout bags. In January 2026, most of the County banned provision of single-use plastic carryout bags at checkout and raised the tax on paper bags to 10 cents. Gaithersburg opted, instead, to impose a 10-cent tax on both plastic and paper carryout bags. The results of this re-survey will show how many shoppers shifted from single-use plastic carryout bags to reusable bags, no bag, or paper bags under the two policies. It will also observe whether the reusable bags provided at the grocery stores are compliant with the definition of "reusable bag" in the legislation.
Sign up for the virtual training session, Thursday, April 23, 7-8:30 pm to learn the protocols for counting shoppers and recording their bag use, and to sign up for a grocery store to survey in Montgomery County. Volunteers will observe and record shoppers' bag choices for one hour at each store exit. The survey will be conducted on five weekends in May; each store is observed only once and can be done on any of the ten weekend days. There is no contact with the shoppers, just recording the types of bags they're using.
Cost: Free
Signup Instructions: All volunteers who wish to participate in data collection must take the training and sign the waiver. A zoom link will be sent the day before the training to all who have registered.
Signup Restrictions: Must be at least 18 years old.