Colorado banned single-use plastic carryout bags and polystyrene foam containers statewide under the Plastic Pollution Reduction Act, fully effective in 2024.
House Bill 21-1162 created the Plastic Pollution Reduction Act, codified in part at CRS 25-17-505. Beginning January 1, 2024, large retailers and grocery stores may not provide single-use plastic carryout bags. Recycled paper bags carry a 10-cent fee, with revenue split between retailers and municipalities for waste reduction programs. Small stores with three or fewer Colorado locations and farmers markets are exempt. The law also preempted prior state preemption, allowing cities to enact stricter bans. Enforcement is handled at the local level.
First violation results in a written warning; second violations carry $250 fines, and subsequent violations rise to $500 per occurrence.
See how Castle Rock's plastic bag rules rules stack up against other locations.
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