Historical policy report: The July in this April 23, 2024 article is July 2024. The Town's single-use plastics provisions took effect July 1, 2024. This summary preserves reporting credited to Ashley Bunton, Associate Editor of the Telluride Daily Planet, and distinguishes the transition discussions from current compliance advice.
Photo: Michael Mowery/Telluride Daily Planet. Plastic straws were among the items discussed ahead of the July 2024 transition.
Telluride had prohibited disposable plastic shopping bags since 2011. The broader local measure was adopted in November 2022 and took effect in July 2024. The original report also discussed Colorado's January 2024 plastics changes under HB 21-1162. State and town requirements have different coverage; do not assume one summary applies to every business or product.
The Town's Planet Over Plastic resource is the starting point for its program. Its September 2024 fact sheet covers local business license holders, festivals, special events and visiting vendors. Listed prohibitions include plastic prepared-food containers and foam versions, straws, cutlery, plastic-wrapped toothpicks, plastic cotton swabs, condiment packets, garnish spears, stirrers and single-use water bottles smaller than one gallon.
In the Daily Planet's 2024 reporting, Brittany Schelk said Uno Dos Tres Tacos + Tequila had switched to agave straws about a year earlier, with paper straws as a fallback when supplies were unavailable. She also reported that The Cornerhouse Grille was using paper straws. These were businesses' practices at the time, not a verification of their present inventory.
The report described Toronto-based Sustainable Agave Company, formed in 2020, as a supplier using agave-industry byproducts. Its marketing vice president, James Beveridge, reported increasing interest in alternatives. That supplier account does not independently establish the original broad claim about millions of pounds diverted from landfills or the environmental performance of every product.
Luke Lawrence of Telluride Private Catering described using bamboo cutlery and sustainable napkins while choosing not to provide straws. He said paper and bamboo straws could cost at least three times as much in his experience, and discussed the challenge of absorbing costs. That was an individual business account in 2024, not a current price comparison for all suppliers. Other businesses contacted had varying awareness of the upcoming change.
The Town hosted transition forums on March 24 and 25, 2024. The original report quoted Ecology Commission member Jonathan Greenspan discussing outreach and a soft grace period. It did not establish an indefinite exemption or a current grace period.
The fact sheet describes product-specific exceptions for pharmaceutical, medical-device and dietary-supplement materials, plus specified emergency water-bottle uses. This is not a blanket exemption for every business handling medical goods. Ask the Town about an exact product or accommodation rather than inferring permission from a business category.
Its published penalty schedule is a warning first, then fines up to $50, $100 and $300 for successive violations within a calendar year; no more than one penalty is imposed within seven days. Confirm the applicable ordinance and current interpretation with the Town before relying on a historical summary.
Review products with suppliers, document which replacements meet the applicable requirements, and give staff clear instructions. The Town's sheet also describes request-only distribution of non-plastic cutlery and napkins. A label such as plant-based or biodegradable alone is not a complete compliance or disposal plan.
If you are evaluating a property for a food, lodging or event business, confirm its jurisdiction and permitted use before estimating operating costs. Mountain Rose Realty supports the community's sustainability efforts and can help connect a property search with the appropriate local questions; the Town is the source for enforcement and compliance interpretation.
Contact Anne-Britt Ostlund at Mountain Rose Realty to discuss Telluride neighborhoods, property access and the local details that matter to your plans.