About Us

Our Mission:

Our mission is to promote environmental sustainability in the Gunnison Valley through education, advocacy, public outreach, and the implementation of community initiatives.


Our Beginnings:

Sustainable Crested Butte was founded by Benjamin Swift while he was attending high school. Motivated by his work in environmental science at Crested Butte Community School, by work with the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, and by movies such as “Bag It”, Benjamin started “Plastic Bag Free CB”. He received a few small grants to buy re-useable cloth bags which were given away for a donation in several stores in town. His work continued with an attempt to pass a plastic bag ban in town.

Through his efforts, the movement to support re-useable bags gained momentum and several interested individuals came forward. Eventually, a governing body was formed and we renamed ourselves “Sustainable Crested Butte” to encompass all environmental efforts that we planned to tackle beyond a plastic bag ban.

In August of 2016, the Crested Butte town council passed an ordinance banning single-use plastic bag use in town. The ban went into full effect on September 1, 2018.