Photo Source: https://gec.eco/plastic-reduction-ordinance/
Do piles of dirty plastic cups and containers stress you out? Are they overflowing from trash cans in your town? If “yes” is your answer to either of those questions, then consider proposing a plastics reduction ordinance to your local City Council or Village Board. While waiting for major corporations to adopt sustainable practices and policies that would minimize the responsibility of individual consumers, the enforcement of plastic regulation falls to everyday citizens. While initiating and executing a local plastic reduction ordinance can seem like a daunting task, there are a plethora of communities who have already taken action and whose experience can act as a framework for your community.
In 2011, Telluride Colorado prohibited disposable plastic bag use. More recently, they took their anti-plastic legislative work a step further, passing by adopting the Prohibition and Ban on the Use and Sale of Certain Plastic Materials or Products Ordinance. Since its adoption in November of 2022, Section 78-8-100 has been in effect. Entitled “Customers Must Request Condiments and Cutlery,” this section essentially mandates that single-use products or condiment packages can only be given to customers if specifically requested. While a good first step in minimizing the dissemination of single-use products, Section 78-8-100 is only a small fraction of the ordinance’s provisions. Starting on July 1, 2024, the following items will be prohibited within the Town of Telluride:
- plastic food containers
- plastic beverage straws
- single-use plastic water bottles
- plastic cutlery
- plastic-wrapped toothpicks
- cotton swabs with plastic
- single-use condiment packages that are served in plastic
- plastic stirrers or garnish spears
The ordinance impacts all business license holders within the town, including but not limited to any commercial establishment or enterprise, corporations, non-profits, legal entities, special events or festivals, and out of town vendors. This forward-thinking local legislation demands much needed behavioral change from business owners and customers alike. Understanding that this switch may not come easily to some, the Town of Telluride’s Ecology Commission has also hosted two forums and provided digital resources for local businesses to help ease the transition, a consideration too often forgotten by legislative bodies.
To learn more about Telluride’s impressive plastics reduction ordinance, which can serve as a model for you to propose to your municipality, visit Planet Over Plastic | Telluride, CO – Official Website. This site and its resources have acted as source material for this post.
