Ban on single-use plastic carryout bags goes into effect next week at most Colorado grocery stores

Single-use carryout plastic bags will be going away at the checkout counters of most places Coloradans buy groceries next Monday. Distribution of the bags will be banned at large grocery stores and chain convenience stores across the state starting on the first day of 2024. It's one of several new laws that go into effect in the Centennial State in the new year.

The only establishments that will still be permitted to allow customers to walk out with single-use plastic bags for their groceries are small grocery or convenience stores that have three locations or fewer and those locations are all in Colorado.

The new state law was passed in an effort to reduce Colorado's plastic pollution. Single-use carryout plastic bags are made from natural gas and -- according to Eco-Cycle in Boulder -- are "one of the most common pollutants found in Colorado's rivers, and never biodegrade -- they only break down into smaller and smaller plastics and get into our water and soils, or are consumed by animals, ultimately ending up in the food we eat."

All stores that sell groceries are still permitted to offer single-use paper bags (at a fee of 10 cents per bag), although some stores, such as Walmart, are doing away with those as an option as well on a voluntary basis. The manufacturing of single-use paper bags contributes to deforestation and uses a large amount of water.

Colorado shoppers are encouraged to use reusable bags for their groceries.

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