Posted on 12/17/2022 5:19:51 AM PST by real saxophonist
10-cent plastic bag fee goes statewide soon
by: Gabrielle Franklin
Posted: Dec 16, 2022
DENVER (KDVR) — The new year comes with a new fee in Colorado.
Those who live in Denver, Boulder or Fort Collins are no strangers to this fee, but other municipalities should prepare to bring their own bags starting on Jan. 1.
“Here in Colorado, we have a big plastic pollution problem,” said Danny Katz, executive director of CoPIRG, a public interest research group. “We estimate that before the pandemic, Colorado was going through about 4.6 million single-use plastic bags a day. When you think about it, there’s a huge cost to all this single-use plastic.”
Plastic everywhere, even Rocky Mountain National Park
In an effort to reduce some of the plastic use in the state, lawmakers passed a measure last year that requires stores in the state to charge customers 10 cents per plastic bag if shoppers do not bring their own reusable bag.
“You can see those single-use plastic bags caught in the waterways, flapping on trees, and they can break down into smaller microplastics. We’re seeing microplastics found in waterways all across the state, including in some of the most pristine lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park. So we’re just producing way too much single-use plastic,” Katz said.
It will not be much different for some shoppers.
“For shoppers in the City and County of Denver, there really won’t be much of a change. Retailers in Denver already charge a 10-cent fee for any bag provided to a customer at checkout at retail stores. And that is already aligned with the state’s bill, so no change there,” said Grace Rink, chief climate officer for the City and County of Denver.
Plastic bag ban takes effect statewide in 2024
Denver’s 10-cent bag fee went into effect last July. Like the state’s fee, 60% of the fee collections goes to the municipality where the store is located. The other 40% goes to the retailers, using the dollars for education about the law and helping shoppers get reusable bags. This 10-cent fee is just the first phase in part of a bigger statewide plan.
“State law actually bans plastic bags statewide starting Jan. 1, 2024,” Rink said. “However, retailers are allowed to continue using the plastic bags that they have in their inventory through June 1, 2024. So shoppers statewide will start to see a decrease in availability of plastic bags right away, starting Jan. 1, 2024, and then they’ll see them go away completely June 1, 2024.”
So far, Denver has collected almost $3 million in bag fees. The city said compliance has not been an issue but is looking to make some slight changes with a council vote on Monday so it will better mirror state law.
Proposed changes to Denver’s fee include:
Clarifying definitions of stores the rule applies to Clarification of the compliance process and appeals Removing an exemption for small bags to mimic the state law (think of places like dispensaries that put goods in those smaller bags, not produce bags, which will remain exempt)
Adding a ban on styrofoam takeout containers, like the statewide effort taking effect on Jan. 1, 2024
Revisions to mirror the state’s call to ban plastic bags by Jan. 1, 2024, but allow stores to use their inventory through June 1, 2024
Just another Tax Grab
Someone is making a fortune cause people are always forgetting their bags and having to buy more. The local supermarket has a sign almost as big as their stores name with, DONT FORGET YOUR BAGS.
My point, exactly! We bought Coke in returnable bottles, we hanned veggies and even meat in Mason jars, (I’m still using some that my grandmother bought in the fifties). I’m totally praying for the day when disposable diapers will have a 10c/each tax to pay for the government taking care of your brat’s shitty behind.
Well, then, I hope there’s a 10c/bag tax added to the price of those bags you’re ordering. The tax is not for the price of the bag, but the disposal of the bag. Why should the government be picking up the tab for someone who insists on creating garbage?
“Here in Colorado, we have a big plastic pollution problem,”...so instead of switching to paper or biodegradable bags, we’ll do the dumb thing and tax you to give the appearance that we’re doing something. It’s all about getting more money from you anyway.
Yep.
In Carbondale they charged $1/bag. With the whole state going to $.10 they'll probably raise it to $10.
Probably following the successes of Seattle . . .
The powers that be originally promoted plastic bags to “save a tree”. In this “law” they seem to forget about all of the packaging in which many products are contained. Do those plastics not contaminate the environment in the same way as plastic bags?
What is the choice now, kill a tree or choke a fish?
Right. This is the typical commie trash lie ....... about most anything that spews out of their mouths.
Anyone who doesn’t re-use such bags is an idiot — which marks them out as commie trash, ironically.
They are waterproof, which is way better than a paper bag. They last quite a while. But, everyone I’ve touched in recent years are biodegradable. They kind of crumble after a few moths — which makes them a bit risky for poo collecting if you employ LIFO approach to storage.
CaCaLand politicos went with this years ago, also tied to the lie about plastic bags all over the place. They got grocery stores to go along with regs that enforced the 10C price. Which is corrupt as ‘Ell since I now buy the bags on line for <3C. Nice profit markup if you can get it on anything.
The continuing liberal “creating awareness” B.S. that accomplishes nothing except inconveniencing and torturing everyone.
Correct.
I am all for this. A few roads I travel are full of plastic bags laying on the side of the road. Americans are pigs with litter. I would bring back 5 cent plastic bottle return also.
IF there’s a way to steal a dollar, rest assured, a lib politician will find it.
Yes, in some areas or when there is an over abundance but most paper and plastic is recycled.
Make it a dollar a bag, then no one will use them. At a dime, it’s just a way for the state to make money.
(We already use our own bags, they don’t split!)
Same here. Our legislators here in Colorado look at California and drool.
“Generations ago, we burned all of our garbage and trash of which there was very little, since there was almost no packaging.”
I used to love throwing Mom’s used hairspray cans in the burn barrel. :)
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