The Fort Collins Plastic Bag Ban Goes Into Effect On May 1

Changes are coming and they're coming soon to grocery stores in Fort Collins. Starting on May 1, whether it's for in-store shopping or if you're just picking up your groceries, grocery stores larger than 10,000 square feet - and yes that's pretty much all of the main ones - will no longer be providing plastic bags.

Paper bags will be available for 10 cents each, as the proceeds from this will be split 60-40. 60% will go to the City of Fort Collins and 40% will stay with the grocery store and go to things like employee training, store upkeep, and things like that.

Just what we need right, another fee to tack to the already skyrocketing cost of living. But in the grand scheme, this is a pretty small price to pay to help keep our community and planet clean.

If you don't want to pay the10 cent fee for the store-provided paper bags, you can bring your own reusable bags, And for those that are simply unable to pay the fees, customers who are a part of any sort of income assistance can simply show their benefit card and any bag fees will be waived.

The disposable bag ordinance was approved by voters in April of 2021 and will officially go into effect on May 1. 

Now comes the hard part: if you have a bunch of reusable bags like we do in our house, it's going to be a matter of getting into a habit and remembering those things when I go to the store.

Many times, I'll remember to put them in the car but forget to take them with me out of the car when I go into the store. So once I go into the store I forget.