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A new fee for single-use bags and a phase-out of single-use plastic bags next year will help protect Colorado’s environment and public health by slowing the worsening plastic pollution crisis. Learning more about the problem highlights the importance of this proven policy solution. Problems with single-use plastics include:
These problems will only get worse if we continue down this path, but the Plastic Pollution Reduction Act, signed into law last summer, aims to address these issues by reducing the amount of single-use plastic we use in the first place. We are dealing with the issue of
You can’t recycle your way out of the problem
Only 9% of the plastic ever produced on the planet has been recycled. The rest of the plastic waste ends up in oceans, streams, parks and landfills. Recycling plastics is more complex and costly than other materials, and most plastic products cannot be recycled. Plastic bags are never recycled through street recycling programs. They are the most common contaminants endangering recycling sorting facilities, clogged or damaged machinery, and workers.
When the plastic bags are individually collected for recycling, they are downcycled into other materials such as decking. These cannot be recycled and must end up in landfills. As long as we continue to produce plastic bags, we will continue to extract fossil fuels and pollute the environment.
Switching to “biodegradable” single-use bags is not a solution, it just perpetuates unsustainable resource extraction and disposal. The term “biodegradable” is an informal term used for marketing purposes. All plastics are ultimately “biodegradable”. This means that with prolonged exposure to air, sunlight, and water, it breaks down into tiny pieces of plastic that pollute the environment and enter the food stream. “Biodegradable” does not mean that the plastic has been proven to break down completely.
Paper bags also have a big impact on the environment. It uses a lot of water in its production and requires deforestation if it’s not made with 100% recycled materials. The best alternative is a reusable bag that will last for years. Reusable bags are much more durable than disposable bags, can be insulated and can hold more weight.
Solutions to Pollution
Single-use bag fees and bans have been enacted around the world, and data overwhelmingly show that this policy model works. 85% reduction in paper and plastic bag usage after the ban and paper bag charge was passed. Customers in cities like Aspen are bringing their own reusable bags or skipping disposable bags altogether, due to bag fees for paper bags.
In a large study of existing life cycle assessments, the United Nations recently concluded that all products intended for single use are problematic, regardless of material. Reusable products have less environmental impact than disposable products.The more times a product can be used, the less impact it has on the environment.” Assuming 365 single-use plastic bags to take home, switching to reusable bags saves over 20,000 bags per person.
Thankfully, the Colorado Legislature and Gov. Jared Polis have taken action to reduce the amount of unwanted plastic waste statewide. We plan to completely abolish single-use plastic bags. Residents enrolled in state and federal food aid programs have an exemption and stores must use his existing bags through June 1, 2024. stock.
It just doesn’t make sense to use it for a few minutes to continually discharge fossil fuels and turn them into plastic bags that end up in landfills, clog recycling systems, or disintegrate into microscopic pollution. The Plastic Pollution Reduction Act will help protect our beautiful state and the health of the people of Colorado and all of us downstream through bag fees and a ban on plastic bags.
Ryan Call of Denver is the campaign coordinator for Eco-Cycle.
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