California approves full ban on plastic shopping bags but will it make a difference?

Soon, Californians will no longer have the option of grabbing a cheap plastic bag if they forget their own reusable bags at home.

As The New York Times reported, California Governor Gavin Newsom has recently approved a bill prohibiting grocery stores from providing plastic bags at checkouts, including the thicker, "reusable" bags that were introduced as an alternative after a previous ban.

The bill, co-authored by California Assembly member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, aims to create a cleaner future for communities and the environment.

In a statement to the press, Bauer-Kahan said, “It’s time for us to get rid of these plastic bags and continue to move forward with a more pollution-free environment."

CNN highlights that single-use plastic bags have been banned in California for almost a decade. The new bill signed by Newsom further strengthens the ban.

Previously, stores were allowed to offer thicker plastic carryout bags that were labeled as reusable. Still, the reality was that very few of these bags were actually reused or recycled, leading to environmental pollution.

Under the new bill, SB 1053, individuals without a reusable bag will be asked if they want a paper bag instead of being given the option between plastic and paper. Sen. Catherine Blakespear, who introduced the bill, stated that this straightforward approach is expected to significantly reduce plastic bag pollution.

According to ABC News, the bill will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026. Additionally, the new bill will alter the definition of a “recycled paper bag” and will mandate all bags using that label to be at least 50% post-consumer recycled materials.

The bill was proposed due to concerns over the bags that stores switched to after the previous ban. These bags were found to be difficult to recycle, rarely recycled, and rarely reused.

According to a statement published on Blakespear's website, in 2004, Californians used 147,038 tons of plastic, which equates to about 8 pounds of plastic per person. By 2021, this number had increased to 231,072 tons, roughly 11 pounds per person.

Regarding whether plastic bans reduce plastic waste, a study in January found that New Jersey tripled its plastic consumption despite the state's 2022 plastic ban, which was meant to address the "problem of plastic pollution," as reported by USA TODAY.

When consumers in New Jersey started searching for alternatives and purchasing plastic reusable bags, the state saw plastic consumption triple, largely because of the material used in the alternative bags, as found in a report by the Freedonia Group.

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