House approves bill banning discharge of preproduction plastic pellets after debate over definitions

The Colorado House adopted Senate Bill 16 on third reading, a measure aimed at prohibiting the discharge of preproduction plastic pellets — small resin beads used as plastic feedstock — into land or water. Sponsors and environmental advocates described the pellets as a source of microplastic pollution found in Colorado waterways.

Representative Smith, one of the bill's sponsors, said pellets are "lentil sized pieces of plastic" used in manufacturing and noted testing in 2023 found microplastics in 16 Colorado waterways. "Every plastic pellet that has entered our environment is likely present in some form," Smith said in support of the bill.

Opponents raised concerns about the bill's breadth and practical enforcement. Representative Baron questioned the definition of "microplastics" and warned that the measure could sweep in unintended items; he said the evidence of recurring spills in Colorado appeared limited and said enforcement could penalize inadvertent occurrences.

An amendment (L013) that would have narrowed the statutory definition to visible pellets of at least 1 millimeter — explicitly to align with detection limits and avoid enforcement hurdles — was offered and rejected on the floor. Sponsors argued a narrow definition would leave loopholes; amendment proponents said the narrowing would reduce uncertainty for businesses and recyclers.

After debate, the bill was adopted. The floor discussion included technical questions about definitions and implementation; members on both sides said the goal is to protect Colorado waterways from plastic contamination.