California Governor Signs Law Banning All Plastic Shopping Bags

The earlier ban on thin plastic single-use bags led to increased waste, as most of the replacement thicker plastic bags aren’t recyclable and are seldom reused.

A woman carries her groceries in a plastic bag while leaving a supermarket in Monterey Park, Calif., on Sept. 30, 2014. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill on Sept. 22 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.