On Sunday, California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) signed a bill that will prohibit grocery stores from providing any and all plastic bags to consumers starting in 2026.
The legislation was enacted a decade after the state prohibited the use of plastic grocery bags and mandated that stores distribute reusable or recyclable plastic bags.
“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. This straightforward approach is easy to follow and will help dramatically reduce plastic bag pollution,” California State Sen. Catherine Blakespear (D) said in a statement on the matter.
The California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG), an advocacy organization, reported that only 2 percent of customers were reusing the plastic bags provided by retailers, as they are more difficult to recycle.
Not a single municipal recycling facility in California currently accepts them.
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