Gather your reusable bags, because single-use plastics are out. Starting January 1, polystyrene, or Styrofoam, to-go containers and plastic grocery bags will be banned in most large retail and food establishments statewide, including many grocery stores and restaurants.
The measures are part of the Plastic Pollution Reduction Act passed in 2021. The first phase of the legislation went into effect one year ago, requiring businesses to charge 10 cents each for both paper and plastic bags. In 2024, plastic grocery bags will no longer be available, but paper bags will still be on hand for a 10 cent fee.
The statewide ban follows a local plastic bag ban in Fort Collins that went into effect in 2022 and makes Colorado one of a growing number of states imposing bans on plastic bags and Styrofoam to-go products.
A boon for the environment, with a catch
Shelie Miller, a professor of sustainability at the University of Michigan, said reducing disposable plastic waste is beneficial for the environment.
“We know that plastics do not readily break down in the environment, and so if those plastics end up escaping from our waste system, they can really cause havoc,” she said. “Marine life, birds, amphibians, you know, reptiles, will see little tiny bits of plastic and eat them.”
Colorado’s new plastic ban has a loophole, though: Small businesses with three or fewer locations in the state, or that sell only nonperishable, prepackaged foods or uncut produce, are exempt.
All businesses will be permitted to use up their remaining stock of plastic bags and Styrofoam containers purchased before 2024, but cannot buy new inventory.
Be realistic
Miller said policies to ban disposable plastics are just the first step.
“The biggest issue with any sort of ban is, what's going to happen next?,” she said. “So if we remove single-use plastics through plastic bags and Styrofoam, what are people going to use instead?”
She said it’s important to be realistic. If you are just as likely to throw away a heavier-duty reusable bag, it’s probably better to stick with a 10-cent paper bag at checkout, since those bags are made with less material.
“The biggest thing is really trying your best to do what's going to work for you,” she said.
Businesses, in turn, should consider options that make sense for their customer base and location. Products made from recycled content are likely more sustainable than recyclable containers that put the onus on consumers. And while compostable products may look like a green solution, Miller said that may not be the case if customers don’t have ready access to compost bins.
What's on your plate?
Reducing plastic waste is “just the tip of the iceberg,” according to Miller. Making an effort to eat all of the food on your plate or choosing to buy foods with lower environmental impact can also make a difference when it comes to sustainability.
“As a consumer, the biggest impact you can have is not on your takeout container or your takeout bag,” Miller said, “but what's in that takeout container itself.”
Get top headlines and KUNC reporting directly to your mailbox each week when you subscribe to In The NoCo.
