11.22 Single Use Plastic

Climate News 11.2022

This month, given the theme of gratitude, I have been thinking about how grateful I am to live in a place where the elected leaders and local citizens care about the environment and put in the effort to protect it. For example, recently the town of Telluride has announced that in 2024 there will be a ban on single use plastics. Back in 1993 the Colorado State Legislature passed a bill that banned municipalities from banning single use plastics. Last year the law was finally repealed, and a new law will go into effect next year banning single use plastic bags and polystyrene containers statewide with some exceptions. My hometown of Telluride has a history of being a leader in environmental action. In 2007 the town fought to protect the six hundred acres of river corridor land at the entrance to town from development. In 2010 Telluride became one of the first places in the country to ban single use plastic bags despite the 1993 law that was still on the books. Now, once again, the town council is planning to have a complete single use plastics ban in 2024. This will include plastic water bottles, plastic cutlery, straws, and single use food containers. Although I am incredibly grateful for this ban, it only addresses a tiny bit of the harm Telluride has done to the environment over time because of the mining industry and the running of the ski area. We consume a lot of fossil fuels because of the highly demanding tourist industry. These plastic bans are not designed to stop climate change, but they are a step in the right direction.