Why Is California Putting A Complete Plastic Ban At Grocery Stores?

California has officially banned all plastic shopping bags at grocery store checkouts under new legislation signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on Sunday.

Key Points: The law, which will go into effect on January 1, 2026, builds upon a previous ban on single-use bags implemented a decade ago. That ban had permitted stores to sell thicker, reusable plastic bags that met specific recyclability criteria. However, as noted by state Senator Catherine Blakespear, one of the bill’s sponsors, these bags are rarely reused or recycled and often end up in landfills or as environmental pollutants.

What Does The Statistics Say?

Research highlighted by Blakespear shows a significant increase in the amount of grocery and merchandise bags disposed of in California—from 147,038 tons (approximately 8 pounds per person) in 2004 to 231,072 tons (around 11 pounds per person) in 2021.

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What Is The Environmental Impact?

According to Anja Brandon from the environmental nonprofit Ocean Conservancy, plastic grocery bags have consistently ranked among the top 10 most commonly found items during California Coastal Cleanup Day for seven of the last 10 years.

Over that period, enough plastic bags were collected to span the Golden Gate Bridge nearly 30 times. Brandon also emphasized that these bags are not only prevalent pollutants but also among the top five deadliest forms of plastic pollution for marine life.

The new law excludes certain plastic bags, such as those used for produce or to wrap food items that might cause contamination, like meat.

Blakespear mentioned that consumers will no longer be asked to choose between paper or plastic at checkout; instead, they will be offered a paper bag if they don’t have a reusable one. She believes this change will significantly cut down on plastic bag pollution.

On the other hand, Erin Hass, the executive director of the American Recyclable Plastic Bag Alliance, expressed disappointment over the bill’s signing. Hass compared it to similar legislation in places like New Jersey and Canada, where the use of imported non-recyclable plastic-cloth bags has become widespread as a result.

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