HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 02/04/2025 - Memorandum from Amy King re Annual Update on Disposable Bag Ordinance Status & InitiativesEnvironmental Services
Department
222 Laporte Avenue
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970-221-6600
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MEMORANDUM
Date: January 28, 2025
To: Mayor and City Councilmembers
Through: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
Tyler Marr, Deputy City Manager
Jacob Castillo, Chief Sustainability Officer
From: Amy King, Environmental Services Director
Subject: Annual Update on Disposable Bag Ordinance Status & Initiatives
Bottom Line
The purpose of this memo is to provide the City Council with an annual update on the status,
implementation, compliance and engagement related to the City’s Disposable Bag Ordinance
(DBO), with a particular focus on the progress of reporting from the 19 large grocers that are to
comply with the ordinance. These efforts are aligned with:
• Council Priority 5, Accelerate zero waste infrastructure and policies
• Our Climate Future, Big Move 10 Zero Waste Economy: Business, industry,
institutions and government collaborate to recirculate resources and eliminate waste
The information below summarizes the ongoing efforts to implement DBO, the influence of the
State’s Plastic Pollution Reduction Act (PPRA, CO. House Bill 21-1162) and immediate next
steps.
Background
In February of 2021 the City Council passed DBO, which was later affirmed by voters in the
April 2021 election. DBO banned plastic bags and placed a 10-cent fee on disposable paper
bags at 19 large Fort Collins grocers starting May 1, 2022.
In accordance with the City’s local ordinance, grocers are required to remit 60 percent of each
disposable paper bag fee ($0.06 per bag) back to the City of Fort Collins and retain the other 40
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percent ($0.04 per bag). Remittance occurs on a quarterly basis. Staff actively track remittance
and the fee revenue and expenditure plans of the large grocers in the community.
As of December 31, 2024, all 19 large grocers in Fort Collins have been 100 percent compliant
with remittance each quarter and the submittal of their annual fee revenue and expenditure
plans. Upon analysis of the remittances and expenditure reports, it can be determined that:
• 9,794,860 disposable paper bags have been purchased by customers from the 19
large grocers in Fort Collins since May 1, 2022,
• $587,692 has been remitted back to the City of Fort Collins since May 1, 2022, from
the 19 large grocers, and
• In 2024, the 19 large grocers remitted $199,284 from the sale of 3,321,407
disposable paper bags, reflecting a decrease compared to trends observed since
May of 2022.
In 2024, alongside the 19 large grocers, 107 stores, as defined by the PPRA, have also remitted
disposable paper bag fees to the City in accordance with PPRA requirements.
• $38,336 has been remitted back to the City by the 107 participating stores from the
sale of 638,933 disposable paper bags in 2024.
The City’s total revenue from disposable paper bag purchases at stores and large grocers,
since May of 2022, amounts to $668,304, which is utilized to fund community outreach,
education, and implementation of PPRA and DBO. Staff continues to educate and offer support
to impacted businesses. The Environmental Services Department (ESD) conducted rounds of
postcard mailings and emails, reaching over 500 businesses. The mailers and emails provided
essential information about the upcoming changes and compliance requirements related to
PPRA. In November 2024, staff from ESD and the Economic Health Office (EHO) collaborated
to provide educational and promotional materials at the Business Appreciation Celebration.
Educational materials helped the attending businesses determine whether their business would
be affected by new PPRA regulations. Staff from both ESD and EHO will continue to work
together to support businesses that are affected by regulatory changes.
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Next Steps
In 2025-2026, ESD staff are committed to further understanding the impacts of PPRA to best
educate businesses on the requirements for compliance. ESD will be hiring a Specialist to
manage operations and improve processes including remittance tracking and working with the
Sales Tax division to improve reporting. At the City Council regular meeting on February 4,
2025, code amendments to DBO, in alignment with PPRA requirements, will be proposed to
enable local enforcement of all required stores. For more information on staff engagement on
plastic pollution reduction, please refer to the 10.17.24 Memorandum to Council, “Update on
Plastic Pollution Reduction Initiatives.”
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