BOULDER - They get used for a very short time and then spend years and years cluttering landfills. Single-use plastic, and paper bags have become the subject of concern in Boulder and a group of high school students are teaming with an environment group to limit the use.
Net Zero, a student organization at Fairview High School, Boulder High School and Summit Middle School is working with New Era Colorado to lobby the city of Boulder for change.
"New Era's position is that a fee would be more appropriate in Boulder than a ban," says Tim Nickels, a volunteer with New Era Colorado.
The fee system would be similar to one used in Washington D.C. where a single-use bag is available to shoppers, but a five cent fee is charged for each bag. The idea is to discourage the use of single-use bags while still making them available for shoppers with no other option.
"Sometimes you forget your bags when you go to the store for one thing and there are people who come in from out of town, tourists or people visiting from Denver who might not bring their bag with them," says Nickels.
New Era Colorado has collected over 1,000 signatures from Boulder residents and businesses supporting a change to limit single-use bags. They are hoping the City of Boulder will consider adding a fee for single-use bags by later this summer.
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