Plastic bags outlawed again in California as hidden flaw in former ban exposed

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill on Sunday to ban the distribution of plastic bags at grocery stores. Supporters of the bill said on Monday it will help reduce a major source of waste.

Senate Bill 1053, the bill authored by Sen. Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica and Sen. Catherine Blakespear, D-Encinitas, goes further than SB 270, which was passed in 2014. SB 270 banned single-use plastic bags, but still allowed stores to distribute “reusable” plastic bags. 

However, observers say the thicker plastic bags weren’t actually being reused or recycled. The amount of plastic bags disposed of by residents in California grew from 157,385 tons of plastic bags in 2014 to 231,072 tons by 2022, according to CalRecycle.

“I thank Governor Newsom for signing this important legislation that will help protect California’s environment,” Sen. Blakespear said in a statement. “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.”

The law mandates that only paper bags or a used bag brought by a customer can be available at checkout counters. It does not restrict the separate sale of any types of bag.

“We deserve a cleaner future for our communities, our children and our earth,” Asm. Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, a co-author of the bill, said. “It’s time for us to get rid of these plastic bags and continue to move forward with a more pollution-free environment.”

A plastic bag has an average lifespan of 12 minutes before it’s discarded. 

The new law will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026.