Single Use Bag Ban and Fee

Single-Use Bag Fee

In August 2019, Ordinance 19-14 was passed by Town Council establishing a $0.25 per bag fee on both paper and plastic disposable bags, recognizing that the use of all disposable shopping bags has significant environmental impacts on a local and global scale, including increasing greenhouse gas emissions, litter, harm to wildlife, water consumption and solid waste generation. Despite recycling and voluntary efforts to control pollution from disposable bags, relatively few disposable bags are recycled. Plastic bags last for decades in landfill, litter the environment, use precious resources, impede drainage systems, and impact wildlife.

The disposable bag fee program began January 1, 2020 and was temporarily suspended on March 31, 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions. In July 2020, Town Council lifted the suspension as there was no evidence that reusable bags increased the likelihood of spreading COVID-19.

Plastic Bag Phase-Out and Single-Use Bag Fee – Effective September 1, 2021; updated September 1, 2023

On January 26, 2021, Council passed Ordinance 21-01 banning disposable plastic bags and paper bags with less than 40% post-consumer recycled material, and continuing the single-use bag fee of $0.25 for paper bags only. Effective September 1, 2023, the existing ordinance will be updated with Ordinance 23-19 to specify that paper bags will be required to be made of 100% post-consumer recycled material. Restaurants are also included in this program, which is a departure from the original bag fee program passed in 2019, but will still be exempt from charging and remitting the $0.25 bag fee. An exemption also exists to allow retailers and restaurants alike to continue distributing existing inventory even they do not comply with the new updates, understanding that all new inventory purchases must comply.

Despite the bag fee program implemented January 1, 2020, many single-use bags are still being used and end up in the landfill, litter the environment, use precious resources, impede drainage systems, and impact wildlife. A ban on single-use plastic bags and paper bags with less than 100% post-consumer recycled material addresses environmental concerns while still allowing businesses to offer their customers single-use paper bags that are recyclable and more biodegradable than plastic bags. To allow businesses to plan for this change and to use current paper bag inventories, the updates to this ordinance will not go into effect until September 1, 2023.

View new Bag Fee Ordinance 23-19

Key Takeaways

The new ordinance will only allow for distribution of paper bags made from 100% post-consumer recycled materials.
The new ordinance includes restaurants in restricting single-use bag distribution to paper bags made with 100% post-consumer recycled materials.
Although a restaurant may only issue recycled paper bags for takeout, restaurants are not required to collect and remit the $.25 fee.
An exemption exists to allow retailers and restaurants alike to continue distributing existing inventory even they do not comply with the new updates, understanding that all new inventory purchases must comply.

Remitting Bag Fees

Please complete the appropriate remittance worksheet below:

Quarterly Bag Fee Remittance Worksheet – December 2022 or Earlier

Quarterly Bag Fee Remittance Worksheet – January 2023 or Later

Fees should be remitted on a quarterly basis. The following methods are available for remittance:

Online payment – preferred method: To take advantage of convenient paperless payment through Xpress Bill Pay, please notify the Finance Department to link the bag fee return to an existing account. Contact: Sole Drumwright via email or by calling 970-668-9127 to set up Xpress Bill Pay for bag fees.
Mail check to: Town of Frisco Finance Department, Attn: Bag Fee, PO Box 4100, Frisco, CO 80443. Effective January 2023, if paying by check, please be sure to add the additional $5 paper filing fee to your total bag fees per paper filing fee ordinance 22-07.
Drop off in person: Visit Frisco Town Hall at 1 West Main Street, Frisco, CO 80443. Effective January 2023, if paying by check, please be sure to add the additional $5 paper filing fee to your total bag fees per paper filing fee ordinance 22-07.