Mar 14 - Boulder CO Bag Ordinance Reduces Plastic and Paper Bag Use

The bag charge enacted in Boulder, CO is already showing signs of success, according to Boulder Weekly.

The ordinance arose from concerns by the residents of Boulder, CO about the negative effects disposable bags had on the economy and environment. In November 2012, the city passed an ordinance that placed a 10 cent charge on both plastic and paper disposable bags. From the 10 cents per bag, 4 cents go to retailers to cover implementation costs, and 6 cents goes to education and outreach about the fee as well as funding a program to provide to provide reusable bags to those disproportionately affected by the fee.

According to the City of Boulder, thanks to the 10 cent charge, grocery store bag use has decreased by 68%, or almost 5 million disposable bags.

It’s great to see single use bag ordinances having success after being implemented. Hopefully Boulder’s success will spur more cities in Colorado and in the nation to pursue their own bag ordinances.

See a list of all the cities and counties in the US with single-use bag ordinances.

California could be the first to pass a state bag ban. Find out more about SB 270.