California Governor Signs Law Banning All Plastic Shopping Bags

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill on Sunday that will ban the use of all plastic shopping bags by grocery stores in an effort to reduce plastic waste in the state.

The bill, SB1053, will take effect on Jan. 1, 2026. Consumers will be encouraged to bring their own bags for their purchases or use recycled paper bags provided by grocery stores.

State Sen. Catherine Blakespear, one of the bill’s supporters, said SB1053 honors the intent of the original ban on single-use bags, which was passed in 2014 and approved by the state’s voters in 2016. Under the original ban, stores were allowed to provide thicker reusable plastic bags.

Blakespear said that the original plastic bag ban failed to reduce California’s plastic waste and instead contributed to an increase, as most of the thicker bags are not recyclable and seldom reused.

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