SACRAMENTO, Calif. — SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — “Paper or plastic” will no longer be a choice at grocery store checkout lines in California under a new law signed Sunday by Gov. Gavin Newsom that bans all plastic shopping bags.
California had already banned thin plastic shopping bags at supermarkets and other stores, but shoppers could purchase bags made with a thicker plastic that purportedly made them reusable and recyclable.
The new measure, approved by state legislators last month, bans all plastic shopping bags starting in 2026. Consumers who don’t bring their own bags will now simply be asked if they want a paper bag.
State Sen. Catherine Blakespear, one of the bill’s supporters, said people were not reusing or recycling any plastic bags. She pointed to a state study that found that the amount of plastic shopping bags trashed per person grew from 8 pounds (3.6 kilograms) per year in 2004 to 11 pounds (5 kilograms) per year in 2021.
Blakespear, a Democrat from Encinitas, said the previous bag ban passed a decade ago didn’t reduce the overall use of plastic.
“We are literally choking our planet with plastic waste,” she said in February.
The environmental nonprofit Oceana applauded Newsom for signing the bill and “safeguarding California’s coastline, marine life, and communities from single-use plastic grocery bags.”
Christy Leavitt, Oceana’s plastics campaign director, said Sunday that the new ban on single-use plastic bags at grocery store checkouts “solidifies California as a leader in tackling the global plastic pollution crisis.”
Twelve states, including California, already have some type of statewide plastic bag ban in place, according to the environmental advocacy group Environment America Research & Policy Center. Hundreds of cities across 28 states also have their own plastic bag bans in place.
The California Legislature passed its statewide ban on plastic bags in 2014. The law was later affirmed by voters in a 2016 referendum.
The California Public Interest Research Group said Sunday that the new law finally meets the intent of the original bag ban.
“Plastic bags create pollution in our environment and break into microplastics that contaminate our drinking water and threaten our health,” said the group’s director Jenn Engstrom. “Californians voted to ban plastic grocery bags in our state almost a decade ago, but the law clearly needed a redo. With the Governor’s signature, California has finally banned plastic bags in grocery checkout lanes once and for all.”
As San Francisco’s mayor in 2007, Newsom signed the nation’s first plastic bag ban.
California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed into law a groundbreaking piece of legislation that will have a significant impact on the state’s efforts to reduce plastic waste and protect the environment. The new law prohibits the use of single-use plastic shopping bags at grocery stores, making California the first state in the nation to take such a bold step.
The legislation, known as Senate Bill 270, was introduced by State Senator Alex Padilla and received overwhelming support from environmental advocates, lawmakers, and the public. The bill aims to reduce the amount of plastic pollution in California’s waterways and landfills, as well as promote the use of reusable bags and other sustainable alternatives.
Under the new law, grocery stores and other retailers will no longer be allowed to provide customers with single-use plastic bags at checkout. Instead, they will be required to offer reusable bags for purchase or provide paper bags for a small fee. The goal is to encourage shoppers to bring their own reusable bags when they go shopping, ultimately reducing the amount of plastic waste generated in the state.
California has long been a leader in environmental protection and sustainability, and this new law is just the latest example of the state’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and protecting its natural resources. Plastic pollution is a major problem worldwide, with millions of tons of plastic waste ending up in oceans and waterways each year. By banning single-use plastic bags at grocery stores, California is taking a significant step towards reducing its contribution to this global issue.
In addition to reducing plastic waste, the new law is also expected to have positive impacts on public health and safety. Plastic bags are not only harmful to the environment, but they can also pose a threat to wildlife and marine life that ingest or become entangled in them. By eliminating single-use plastic bags from grocery stores, California is helping to protect its ecosystems and preserve its biodiversity for future generations.
While some critics of the legislation argue that it will inconvenience shoppers or increase costs for retailers, supporters believe that the long-term benefits of reducing plastic pollution far outweigh any short-term challenges. By encouraging the use of reusable bags and promoting sustainable shopping practices, California is setting an example for other states to follow in the fight against plastic waste.
Overall, the signing of Senate Bill 270 marks a major milestone in California’s efforts to protect the environment and promote sustainability. By banning single-use plastic bags at grocery stores, the state is taking a proactive stance on reducing plastic pollution and creating a cleaner, healthier future for all Californians.
