Colorado mountain towns are closing the loop on plastic bag bans

Since 2018, Avon, Colorado, has banned all retailers from using plastic bags to reduce plastic pollution. Mountain towns across Colorado have also adopted similar laws to ensure the bags stay out of forests and waterways, landfills, and recycling centers. But a local Walmart found a way to work around the ban. According to CPR News, the company started giving some customers the thicker plastic bags—bags that qualify as reusable under Avon’s plastic bag ban, since they’re washable and can be used more than 100 times. In response, Avon Town Council members plan to close the loophole and tighten its plastic bag law. One councilperson said the new bags don’t pass his unscientific touch test, saying they seemed like the thin, standard bags often found blowing in the wind. Other towns may also follow suit to amend the language of their ordinances to prevent any future workarounds.