Fort Collins approves Colorado’s latest municipal ban on single-use plastic bags

Aaron Colonnese

Former Content Creator, Editorial & Creative Team, The Public Interest Network

Fort Collins residents who cringe every time they see a plastic bag stuck in an aspen tree have cause to celebrate.

In an April 6 municipal election, Fort Collins voters decided to ban disposable plastic bags at large grocers and place a 12-cent fee on paper bags. CoPIRG, which applauded the vote, is urging the Colorado Legislature to phase out single-use plastic bags, along with polystyrene food containers and cups, across the entire state.

“With millions of new single-use plastic items pouring into our state every day, it’s crucial that we continue taking steps to reduce our dependence on these wasteful products and move Colorado beyond plastic,” said CoPIRG Executive Director Danny Katz. “Nothing we use once for a few minutes should pollute our communities for centuries.”

Plastic waste eventually breaks down into microplastics, which have become virtually ubiquitous, found recently even in rainwater collected in Rocky Mountain National Park.

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Learn more about our campaigns to move Colorado toward zero waste.

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Photo: Colorado goes through an estimated 4.6 million single-use plastic bags every day, which stick around for centuries in landfills or as litter, and can even make their way into our bodies as they break down into microplastics. Credit: daizuoxin via Shutterstock

Authors

Aaron Colonnese

Former Content Creator, Editorial & Creative Team, The Public Interest Network