California Department stores will no longer be able to offer the option of paper or plastic bags thanks to a new law signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on Sunday, which bans all plastic shopping bags.
In California, thin plastic bags were already banned in supermarkets and other stores, but customers could still buy thicker plastic bags that were supposedly reusable and recyclable.
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The new initiative, which was approved by state legislators last month, bans all plastic bags starting in 2026. Customers who do not bring their own bags will now only be able to choose if they want a paper bag for their purchases.
State Senator Catherine Blakespear, one of the proponents of the measure, stated that people were not reusing or recycling their plastic bags. She referred to a statewide study that revealed that the amount of plastic bags disposed of by a person increased from 3.6 kilograms (8 pounds) per year in 2004 to 5 kilograms (11 pounds) in 2021.
The Democrat Blakespear said that the ban on plastic bags that was approved 10 years ago did not reduce the overall use of plastic.
"Literalmente estamos asfixiando a nuestro planeta con residuos plásticos", he declared in February.
The non-profit environmental organization Oceana applauded the measure and congratulated Newsom for "protecting California's coasts, marine life, and communities from single-use plastic balls."
Christy Leavitt, Oceana's campaign director against plastics, stated on Sunday that the new ban on single-use plastic bags at store checkouts "solidifies California as a leader in the fight against the global plastic pollution crisis."
California is one of 12 states that already have some type of statewide ban on plastic bags, according to the environmental protection group Environment America Research & Policy Center. In addition, hundreds of cities in 28 states also have their own restrictions on plastic bags.