SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California has introduced a new law that will eliminate the option of using plastic shopping bags at grocery store checkout lines, following a recent signing by Governor Gavin Newsom. This new law, taking effect in 2026, prohibits all types of plastic shopping bags, building on an earlier ban that restricted thin plastic bags.
Previously, shoppers had the option to buy thicker plastic bags that claimed to be reusable and recyclable. However, State Senator Catherine Blakespear, a supporter of the bill, highlighted a concerning trend: a rise in plastic bag waste. According to state research, the amount of plastic bags discarded per person increased from 8 pounds in 2004 to 11 pounds in 2021.
Blakespear noted that the earlier ban implemented ten years ago did not lead to a reduction in overall plastic usage. “We are literally choking our planet with plastic waste,” she stated earlier this year.
The environmental organization Oceana praised Governor Newsom for the new legislation, emphasizing its significance in protecting California’s coastline and marine ecosystems. Christy Leavitt, the organization’s plastics campaign director, remarked that the ban positions California as a pioneer in addressing the global problem of plastic pollution.
Currently, twelve states have some form of statewide plastic bag ban, and numerous cities across 28 states have also adopted individual bans.
California’s initial statewide plastic bag ban was enacted in 2014 and confirmed by voters in a 2016 referendum. The California Public Interest Research Group expressed approval of the new law, stating it aligns with the original goals of the 2014 legislation by addressing pollution and health risks associated with plastic bags.
Governor Newsom has a history of environmental advocacy, having signed the first plastic bag ban in the nation during his tenure as mayor of San Francisco in 2007.