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— OPINION — Consumer Reports publishes “On Health,” a very fine newsletter with tips on staying healthy. One of the articles this month is “9 Surprising Ways to Prevent Food Poisoning.” One of the nine caught my eye: “Wash your grocery bags.

” Wow! I thought. It has come down to this. Food safety is now the consumer’s responsibility for the grocery store.



As a Colorado resident, I’ve been living with this since 2021, when our state legislature passed HB21-116 concerning the management of plastic products. This bill replaced “single-use” plastic carryout bags and expanded polystyrene food containers. It authorizes local governments to enforce violations and impose civil penalties.

First, I never understood how politicians get away with calling those bags “single use.” Everybody used them at least a second time to clean up after a dog and for other uses when you had a mess to deal with. There is now more doggie-do in the parks, and on the lawns, I walk through than I’ve ever seen.

However, the real problem is how complicated HB21-116 has made life for Colorado. A series of dates has made us a full-enforcement state for this silliness. The act has prohibited stores and retail food establishments, since Jan.

1 this year from providing single-use plastic carryout bags to customers, except that retail food establishments that are restaurants and small stores that operate solely in Colorado and have three or fewer locations may provide single-use plastic.

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