DENVER (KDVR) — Say goodbye to plastic grocery bags, because they will soon be a thing of the past in Colorado.

Since the start of 2023, stores statewide have had to charge a 10-cent fee for every single-use bag they provide to customers. Stores could choose whether or not to keep providing plastic or paper single-use bags, with some, such as Walmart, eliminating single-use bags altogether at the start of the year.

This change came because of a law passed in 2021 that was not designed to last forever. A second part of the law goes into effect in January 2024.

Plastic bags out, paper bags in

Starting January 2024, stores and some food establishments will no longer be allowed to buy new single-use plastic bags. They’ll still be able to provide them to customers for the fee, granted they still have some in stock, but this status quo doesn’t last forever.

That’s because starting June 1, 2024, stores won’t be able to sell any single-use plastic bags to customers at all. So, how quickly you see a change depends on your local grocery store or favorite restaurant.

Single-use paper bags, however, will still be allowed to be sold.

The exceptions

Like most laws, there are exceptions. For example, stores with less than three locations that only operate in Colorado are exempt from the law.

The fees and bans also don’t apply to certain types of single-use bags, like pharmacy bags or the plastic bags provided in the fruit and vegetable section of stores.