California has implemented a new law that will ban all plastic shopping bags starting in 2026, expanding upon a previous ban that prohibited thin plastic bags in supermarkets and other retail stores. Previously, shoppers could still purchase thicker reusable and recyclable plastic bags. Under the new law, individuals who forget to bring their own bags will be offered paper bags instead.
State Senator Catherine Blakespear, a proponent of the bill, emphasized the lack of recycling and reuse of plastic bags, referencing a state study that indicated an increase in the amount of plastic bags discarded per person—from 8 pounds in 2004 to 11 pounds in 2021.
Blakespear expressed concern over the ongoing plastic pollution crisis, stating, “We are literally choking our planet with plastic waste,” and noted that the earlier ban enacted a decade ago did not significantly reduce plastic usage.
The environmental organization Oceana welcomed Governor Newsom’s approval of the bill, highlighting its importance for protecting California’s coastline and marine ecosystems from single-use plastic grocery bags. Christy Leavitt, Oceana’s plastics campaign director, remarked that this new legislation further establishes California’s position as a leader in addressing the global issue of plastic pollution.
Currently, twelve states, including California, have implemented some form of statewide plastic bag ban, while hundreds of cities across 28 states have their own regulations regarding plastic bags.
The original statewide ban on plastic bags in California was enacted in 2014 and confirmed by voters in a 2016 referendum. The California Public Interest Research Group stated that the new law fulfills the original intent of the initial ban. Director Jenn Engstrom noted the environmental hazards posed by plastic bags, which contribute to pollution and break down into microplastics that pollute drinking water and pose health risks. She stated that the new legislation finally enforces a total ban on plastic bags at grocery store checkouts.
Governor Newsom has a history of addressing plastic waste, having signed the nation’s first plastic bag ban while serving as mayor of San Francisco in 2007.