The following is a Letter to the Editor for the Opinions section.
Colorado is known for its natural beauty and strong environmental policies. However, the Centennial State is behind the pack when it comes to plastic pollution.
As of 2018, there are about 350 plastic bag bans in places across the country. Most notably, California and Hawaii have enforced statewide plastic bag bans, while Vermont will ban three types of single-use plastics starting January of next year.
In 2014, the Denver City Council tried to pass an ordinance that would place a tax on plastic bags. However, the city council decided to focus on streamlining trash pick-up services in lieu of reducing the spread of single-use plastics.
Denver attempted once more to introduce plastic bag legislature in 2018. Unfortunately, a statute passed in 1993 got in the way, killing the bill on arrival.
This 1993 statute was originally written to protect and standardize recycling; however, it is currently being used to prevent cities across Colorado from banning single-use plastic bags, straws and polystyrene containers.
Section 7 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, 25-17-104 states the following:
“Local government preemption. 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.”
Despite the risk of legal repercussions, nine municipalities have already banned single-use plastic bags since the implementation of the statute in 1993. To date, no lawsuits regarding this statute have come to light.
Likewise, efforts to ban or restrict the use of plastic straws in Denver have also failed. House Bill 1143, known as the “straws on request” bill, failed due to its exemption of drive-thrus and food deliveries and its restrictive policy preventing local governments from regulating straws within their respective municipalities. Naturally, this bill was killed on February 25 of this year.
According to National Geographic, single-use plastics make up more than 40 percent of all plastic pollution. This includes grocery bags, straws, Styrofoam containers and plastic bottles. A study by NOAA has found that plastic is the most prevalent type of debris in our ocean. This debris primarily comes in the form of “microplastics” which are pieces of plastic less than five millimeters in length. Alarmingly, microplastics have been found in the majority of human subjects tested, and almost 100% of fish species.
Microplastics have been found to bioaccumulate and disrupt the endocrine system of most animals, including us. We are not just polluting our ocean with plastics—we are hurting ourselves.
We have 350 examples of successful plastic bag bans, nine of which are in our own state. Denver claims to be “leading the way in eco-friendly urban living”; however, our inaction has shown this to be nothing more than an empty motto.
Sedona Dorsett
DU Alumnus
