California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law banning the use of plastic bags at grocery stores, according to the Daily Caller.
The law, which won’t be enacted until 2026, prohibits stores from giving customers single-use plastic bags. This is the second time California has attempted to crack down on single-use plastic bags.
There are exemptions to the law, including a provision that allows single-use plastic bags for unwrapped food items.
State Sen. Catherine Blakespear, who introduced the bill, thanked the Governor for enacting her law.
“I thank Governor Newsom for signing this important legislation that will help protect California’s environment,” Blakespear said. “Instead of being asked do you want paper or plastic at checkout, consumers will simply be asked if they want a paper bag, if they haven’t brought a reusable bag. This straightforward approach is easy to follow and will help dramatically reduce plastic bag pollution.”
Ten years ago, California enacted a similar law that banned plastic bags but allowed consumers to use thicker plastic bags that met recycling standards. Relatively few of those thicker plastic bags were recycled and the bill resulted in more plastic waste over time.
Critics argue that the law won’t result in less plastic waste in the long run. For example, New Jersey enacted a single-use plastic bag ban in 2022. According to research published in January by the Freedonia Group, single-use plastic bag consumption fell initially after the ban went into effect.
Ultimately, the state — similar to California’s first law — approved reusable bags that were more plastic-intensive than disposable single-use bags.
Many reusable bags are made from woven and non-woven polypropylene plastic that “consumes over 15 times more plastic and generates more than five times the amount of [greenhouse gas emissions] during the production per bag,” especially in comparison to single-use bags.
