What is BetterBagsColorado?

We are BetterBagsColorado, a grass-roots group of concerned Colorado citizens. We are joining people all over the world in searching for, and finding, better ways to use and preserve our precious resources.

The goal of BetterBagsColorado is to reduce the use of paper and plastic bags. We feel that making a simple change in our everyday shopping habits will serve as a daily reminder that the throw-away era has ended. The environmental damage that the manufacture, transport and disposal of these single-use shopping bags, that are used for an average of 14 minutes, can no longer be denied.

We are starting our campaign in Denver. Most US legislation has been done at the municipal level. We have been meeting with Denver City Councilors since September 2007. Our proposed legislation (see Possible Options Denver page) has gone under modifications as we researched the legal ramifications of a user fee, and as we responded to City Councilor's suggestions.

The media covering our proposal (links on the Denver Media page) was intense and while predictably negative, it got everyone thinking about the needless waste that these bags produce. Reusable bags are being sold in nearly every store and being carried by more and more shoppers. This movement has taken off in every city in the US and across the entire world. Google plastic bags and you'll see.

Keep checking this website for updates on what Denver City Council plans for solutions to this problem. Join us as we seek to get the word out. Help us plan a Reusable Bag Fair to showcase all the options available to the single-use throw away bag. Throwing away these bags will soon be as dated as throwing away beer and pop cans before recycling became the norm. And before that - Americans used to throw those cans away along our highways!

Change always looks harder than it really turns out to be. We can do this.Please join us.

Normally we meet at 7:00pm the first Tuesday of each month, which for May is May 6th at the Alliance Center, 1536 Wynkoop,in meeting rooms provided by the Alliance for Sustainable Colorado. This building is just down from the Tattered Cover and parking is almost always available in their lot for evening meetings. RSVP at info@betterbagscolorado.org to get the current building entry code.

We value everyone's input and look forward to hearing yours!

This bag has a useful life of 12 minutes - the time it takes to go from the store to the kitchen. Yet it remains for up to 1,000 years in our landfills and oceans, leaching out harmful chemicals into the soil and water. Plastic bags use oil and paper bags use trees - there are far better uses for these precious resources.