A little less than a month into the session and multiple bills are already on the table to either reduce or all-out ban types of plastic. SB20-010 is a ban on the law that bans plastic bans. Colorado passed a law in 1989 that said, “No unit of local government shall require or prohibit the use or sale of specific types of plastic materials or products or restrict or mandate containers, packaging, or labeling for any consumer products.”
HB20-1163, would put a statewide ban on single-use plastic that comes from restaurants and stores. Think bags, straws, plastic stir sticks and Styrofoam containers. The sponsor, Democratic Rep. Alex Valdez, said not only is the climate changing for a bill like this but now is the time as his party has a majority in both chambers and the governor’s office. “The big difference this time is that consumer sentiment is changing, people all over the state are having a desire to do things differently and the environment is at the forefront of people’s thoughts,” he said. “I think this is one of those rare issues that really bridges both sides of the aisle in the sense that whether you’re an outdoorsman or a fisherman or a city dweller, pollution affects us all.”