Published on April 19, 2024
To avoid plastic bags ending up in landfills or contaminating recycling, Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency is hosting events at select grocery stores to collect plastic bags and film for specialty recycling.
These events will begin on Earth Day, April 22, and continue throughout the summer. Residents can trade their plastic bags for a free reusable bag.
Starting June 1, Colorado stores will stop providing single-use plastic carry-out bags, with limited exceptions. Colorado's single-use plastic ban went into effect on January 1, but stores could use existing inventory until June 1, 2024.
Trex, a national plastic bag recycling company, will turn all plastic collected from these events into new outdoor furniture.
Denver residents can drop off their extra plastic bags on the following dates at convenient locations across the city:
Monday, April 22: 4 - 7 pm Location: Safeway located at 2660 N Federal Blvd
Sunday, May 5: 11 am - 2 pm Location: Safeway located at 6460 E Yale Avenue
Friday, May 24: 3 - 6 pm Location: Safeway located at 323 S Broadway
Saturday, June 1: 10 am - 1 pm Location: Sprouts located at 3555 N Central Park Blvd
Tuesday, June 11: 4 - 7 pm Location: Sprouts located at 3625 E Colfax Ave
Thursday, June 27: 3 - 6 pm Location: Sprouts located at 5670 N Tower Rd
For more information about the program and how to reduce plastic waste, please visit Denver's website at www.denvergov.org/zerowaste.