Big grocery stores will be forced to charge consumers 10 cents for plastic bags next year

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO)- According to the Colorado Department of Revenue (CDOR), starting Jan. 1, 2023, stores will be charging a $0.10 fee for plastic bags. The state decided to pass this new bag fee in order to eliminate the use of single-use plastics.

However, certain retail food establishments, and small stores that operate solely in Colorado and have 3 or fewer locations, may provide single-use plastic carryout bags for free.

KRDO spoke with some shoppers at the north side King Soopers and some told us they really happy the state is doing something to eliminate the use of plastic.

"I am in favor of reducing the amount of plastic that we have flying around in the atmosphere. I very much dislike seeing flying plastic bags. They are not good for the environment. They are also unpleasant to see." said Nancy White.

But, others think it's a bad idea to add an extra fee.

"I think it sucks and I don't think King Soopers cares about the environment. I think everything that they do is for profit margin," said Dave Wilson.

Establishments that need to follow the plastic ban:

• Restaurants
• Major grocery stores and supermarkets
• Major convenience stores
• Major liquor stores
• Major retailers
• Other major stores providing plastic shopping bags

Stores exempt from the plastic ban:

• Smaller stores with three or fewer locations
• Farmers and roadside markets
• Laundry or dry cleaning services
• Pharmacies
• Bulk stores
• Frozen food, meat, seafood, plants, and other items that could otherwise be contaminated

According to CDOR, the carryout bag fee does not apply to a customer that provides evidence to the store that the customer is a participant in a federal or state food assistance program.

All across the state, 6 cents will be given to the county or municipality to be used towards a program of its choice. The other 4 cents will be given back to the establishment/ grocery store.

If consumers want to avoid the 10-cent fee, they will need to bring their own bags.

According to the city of Pueblo, the money will be used towards a recycling initiative, but what that looks like has yet to be decided. City officials told KRDO that the specifics for how this money will be used will be on the city council agenda for the first reading on Dec. 12th.