A Cortez Resident Reduces Reliance on Plastic Bags by Providing Reusable Options | LOR Foundation
Complete Environment

A Cortez Resident Reduces Reliance on Plastic Bags by Providing Reusable Options

Cortez
  • Local Champion: a cortez resident
  • Date Funded: September 30, 2021
  • Grant Amount: $13,410

After Colorado State House Bill 21-1162 created a ban on single-use plastic bags by 2023, one local Cortez resident realized how significant a problem they were: More than 30,000 plastic bags are provided through local stores in the Cortez area every day. She also knew that Cortez residents are hesitant to change their behavior without understanding why. So she decided to work with local retailers and nonprofits to distribute free reusable, washable, large capacity sacks and produce sacks to low-income individuals—and to build support for the effort by involving local students in the creation of multilingual educational materials about the benefits of reusable bags.

This project is fiscally sponsored by Onward! A Legacy Foundation. 

Impact

After seeing the initial impact, store managers at Walmart, Safeway, and City Market donated hundreds more reusable bags to the cause and the City of Cortez is now working on additional forms of outreach to educate community members about House Bill 21-1162.

In The News

SUP2sack thanks LOR Foundation, retail stores and volunteers (Cortez Journal)
Cortez urged to stop using single-use plastic bags (Durango Herald)

Contact our community officer in Cortez. Meet Nicci Crowley
More Environment Solutions
Environment / Lander A Free Gear Library With Butchering Equipment Makes Hunting Accessible to More Lander Locals
Local Champion:
Wyoming Wildlife Organization
Date funded:
December 19, 2024
Grant Amount:
$29,345
Environment / Lander Vouchers Make Lander’s Outdoor Ice Rink Accessible For More Youth
Local Champion:
City of Lander
Date funded:
December 19, 2024
Grant Amount:
$2,100
Environment / Libby A Water Trail Map Makes Kootenai River Recreation Safer
Local Champion:
Lincoln County
Date funded:
November 27, 2024
Grant Amount:
$13,000
Environment / Questa Greenhouse Updates Support Hands-on Learning in Questa
Local Champion:
Roots and Wings Community School
Date funded:
November 18, 2024
Grant Amount:
$6,500
Environment / Libby A Snowmobile Speeds Emergency Response in Libby
Local Champion:
Kootenai Winter Sports Ski Education Foundation Inc
Date funded:
November 18, 2024
Grant Amount:
$14,500
Environment / Taos Ambitious Clean Up Restores Beauty and Safety to Rio Grande Canyon
Local Champion:
Friends of Rio Grande del Norte National Monument
Date funded:
November 14, 2024
Grant Amount:
$5,034
See All solutions

Share a Solution

If you have an idea for improving quality of life in Cortez or Monte Vista, Colorado; Lander, Wyoming; Libby, Montana; Questa or Taos, New Mexico; or Weiser, Idaho, use this form to start a conversation with us.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.