Although California already had a ban on single-use shopping bags, environmental concerns have prompted the decision to introduce a stricter ban on these bags.
Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1053 last week, which updates the state’s grocery bag legislation.
The state’s previous ban prohibited grocery stores from using single-use tote bags made of paper, plastic and other non-recyclable materials. That rule, which went into effect in 2014, led some stores to package their items in plastic bags that were slightly thicker but not necessarily recyclable.
“The bag ban required that film plastic bags contain certain percentages of recycled content and be recyclable in the state,” the law’s authors wrote. “However, the state law requiring stores to take back plastic bags for recycling expires in 2020. Few stores still take them back for recycling, and curbside collection programs generally cannot accept film plastic for recycling. In December 2023, CalRecycle determined that all film plastic, including the plastic for the ‘reusable’ thicker plastic bags, is ‘not recyclable.'”
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California law also requires that tote bags must contain at least 40% recycled material and be accepted for recycling by most waste disposal programs.
“This bill is intended to reduce the use of single-use bags and encourage consumers to bring their own reusable bags when shopping,” the bill’s authors write. “Because the intent of this bill is to allow only recycled paper bags at the point of sale and to leave the definition of a ‘reusable’ bag unchanged, consumers have the choice to purchase any reusable bag.”
The bill passed the California House of Representatives by a vote of 56-7 and the state Senate by a vote of 32-8 before landing on Newsom’s desk.
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According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, ten states have passed bans on single-use plastic bags: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.
