Vail’s two large grocery stores have since 2015 stopped offering plastic shopping bags to customers. A recent state law may allow the town to go further. The first portion of a 2021 law called the Plastic Pollution Reduction Act goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2023. That part of the law imposes a 10-cent fee on all plastic and paper bags, although local governments can raise that fee.
The law applies to large grocery and retail stores, but restaurants and Colorado-only stores with three or fewer locations are excluded. The fee will be split between stores and local governments. Local governments will receive 60% of the fees to implement and enforce the law, as well as fund recycling, composting, waste diversion programs and education.
The law expands on Jan. 1, 2024, when a ban on plastic carryout bags goes into effect for large grocery and retail stores. The law also imposes a ban on polystyrene food containers and cups. That ban affects all restaurants and schools. As of July 1, 2024, municipalities and counties can enact and enforce more stringent laws than state law. The law exempts packaging used for medical products including drugs, medical devices, or dietary supplements.