Colorado mountain town bans single-use plastics: "It has the potential for people to make a change"

Breckenridge's ordinance banning single-use plastics -- like plastic forks and plastic water bottles -- has entered its second phase as of July 1. A similar ban in Frisco took effect last year before Colorado's statewide ban.

Businesses in town are expected to either stop selling plastic water bottles or find alternatives. They are also expected to find different containers for things like plastic ice cream cups or utensils.

Jessie Burley, sustainability and parking manager for the town of Breckenridge, said there will still be a few things that need to be removed but are not yet.

"A guacamole container for example," Burley said, referencing the single-use fresh guac container at a local supermarket. "Things that should be gone or in alternative packaging should be a lot of your deli counters, the fried chicken, mashed potatoes."

The reason behind all this is clear: plastic doesn't break down and Breckenridge is now committed to producing less plastic in landfills. Add in the fact the tourist economy is based around the aesthetic outdoor opportunities and it also becomes a business investment. Burley said the plastic litter in town is prevalent.

"They are lightweight, fall through the cracks, and the most found thing on town cleanup day so it is your plastic bags, forks or plastic water bottle," Burley said.

Businesses will have to learn a new mode of business, similar to Sara Cox, owner of The Crown, a coffee shop in town that's doing things a little differently. She said getting rid of her plastic single-use water bottles was easy. 

"Next came the plastic cups which was a little bit of a challenge, so here at The Crown we started offering multiple styles of cups," she said.

That includes a paper cup with a sad face on the example, a reusable aluminum cup that costs an extra 50 cents, and good-to-go cups, as well as mugs. If you bring your own cup for your drink, you get a discount. 

Cox believes even if people aren't using the good-to-go cups or the aluminum cups, the options are inspiring customers to at least consider their behaviors and rethink their wastefulness: "Having it out there, being at the register, having my staff talk about it, it has the potential for people to make a change."

The town of Breckenridge said it will be issuing citations for businesses that don't comply after contacting and warning them first.