California governor Gavin Newsom signed into law the state's ban on plastic shopping bags. Retailers have until 2026 to stop giving them to customers.
The new measure, approved by state legislators last month, bans all plastic shopping bags starting in 2026. Consumers who don't bring their own bags will now simply be asked if they want a paper bag.
State Sen. Catherine Blakespear, one of the bill's supporters, said people were not reusing or recycling any plastic bags. She pointed to a state study that found that the amount of plastic shopping bags trashed per person grew from 8 pounds (3.6 kilograms) per year in 2004 to 11 pounds (5 kilograms) per year in 2021.
They did this last year here in Pittsburgh after endless grousing and delays and it was fine. Now the supermarkets have biodegradable bags, they're fancy enough that you don't even want to throw them away, and the ethylene rosebushes are gone.
Previously:
• Tiny Paper Shopping Bags, Nested Adorably
• Grocer designed embarrassing plastic bags to shame shoppers into bringing reusable ones
• KMart pulls 'Merry Ham-mas' gift bag
