Boulder's 10-Cent Fee On Disposable Grocery Bags Becomes Law In July

Starting in July, Boulder shoppers will have to pay a 10-cent fee on paper and plastic bags under an ordinance approved by the City Council on Thursday.

The council previously approved slightly different versions of the ordinance, but because of some minor changes, it came back for a fourth reading.

All seven council members present voted to approve the measure. Councilman George Karakehian and Councilwoman K.C. Becker were absent at the time of the bag vote, though Karakehian arrived later in the evening.

Karakehian had previously argued in favor of a ban on plastic bags but no fee because it would be simpler and easier to administer.

The fee will apply to all paper and plastic bags at food retailers, including grocery stores, convenience stores and Target. Gas station stores will be exempt if food sales account for less than 2 percent of their business.

Retailers will get to keep 4 cents to cover their costs of administering the program. The city plans to use the rest of the money collected from the fee to pay for education and outreach about reusable bags, including buying and distributing free reusable bags to low-income Boulder residents.

The fee came about after students with the Net Zero Club at Fairview High School argued for a ban on all plastic bags and a fee on paper bags.

The City Council decided to pursue a fee on all disposable bags after representatives of Eco-Cycle said banning plastic would cause people to switch to paper, which has its own environmental problems, rather than to reusable bags.

City staff members had originally proposed a 20-cent fee, but the City Council lowered it to 10 cents. ___

(c)2012 the Daily Camera (Boulder, Colo.)

Visit the Daily Camera (Boulder, Colo.) at www.dailycamera.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services