Plastic Pollution Reduction Act one step away from Governor’s desk

HB1162 would phase out the worst plastic pollution from bags to polystyrene to go items, lifts ban on local governments doing more

CoPIRG

DENVER – The Colorado State Senate approved HB21-1162, the Plastic Pollution Reduction Act, by a vote of 20-14. The bill now heads back to the House for a concurrence vote and then on to the Governor’s desk. 

HB21-1162 would phase out single-use plastic bags, polystyrene cups and containers, and reverse a law that prohibited municipalities from taking action around plastic pollution. With Coloradans going through an estimated 4.6 million single-use plastic bags and 1.2 million single-use polystyrene cups a day in our state, CoPIRG has called for the Colorado legislature to make 2021 the year to take action on plastic pollution. 

CoPIRG applauds the sponsors, Representatives Alex Valdez and Lisa Cutter, Senator Julie Gonzales, and Senate President Leroy Garcia, for their tireless work to move the bill through both chambers. 

The following statement was issued by Danny Katz, executive director of CoPIRG:

“Many forms of single-use plastics are unnecessary and wasteful and we don’t need them. They pollute our waterways and parks, harm our health and wildlife, and take centuries to break down. Nothing we use once to carry food or a beverage for a few minutes should pollute our state for hundreds of years. The Plastic Pollution Reduction Act, HB1162, will phase out some of the worst single-use plastics and we applaud the House and now the Senate for taking action. We look forward to Governor Polis signing the bill when it gets to his desk.”