Colorado Bag Ban, Fee & EPR Rules

Bag Ban Status

Statewide bag ban: active statewide ban. Statute explicitly lists 'clothing stores' as covered. Small business exemption: 3 or fewer Colorado locations. Apparel/general retail covered.

Plastic Bag Restrictions

Plastic carryout bags: active statewide ban.

Paper Bag Requirements

$0.10 state minimum paper bag fee.

Recycled Content (PCR)

No statewide recycled-content mandate for carryout bags.

Fees & Taxation

$0.10 per paper carryout bag (state minimum). Local fees also apply in some cities - see Local Ordinances below.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

EPR for Packaging — enacted and live. Statute: HB 22-1355 / Producer Responsibility Program for Statewide Recycling Act. PRO: Circular Action Alliance (CAA). De minimis: <$5.5M global revenue OR <1 ton CO covered material. Penalties: $5K + $1.5K/day (1st), $10K + $3K/day (2nd), $20K + $6K/day (3rd+). CAA Final Plan approved by CDPHE 2025-12-09; implementation must begin within 6 months. A parallel industry trade-group lawsuit challenging Colorado's EPR act is pending; its outcome may be influenced by the Oregon NAW litigation. No injunction affects the Colorado program.

Local Ordinances

Boulder — $0.10 disposable bag fee (pre-state local ordinance). Denver, Fort Collins, others — Various pre-existing local rules.

Key Dates

Producer registration deadline: 2025-07-31. First reporting deadline: 2026-01-01 (first dues payable). Full implementation: 2026-06-09. First annual supply report (2025 data) was due 2026-05-31. Second annual supply report (2026 data): 2027-05-31 (expected, harmonized CAA schedule). Producer dues invoices continue each January (next: January 2027).

Official Sources

• CAA Colorado
• HB22-1355 (Producer Responsibility Program for Recycling) text
• HB21-1162 plastic bag phase-out
• Boulder disposable bag fee
• HB 21-1162 signed bill (PDF)
• CDPHE Producer Responsibility program