California is closing a long-standing loophole in its plastic bag rules. Starting Jan. 1, 2026 C.E., all plastic bags — including the thicker “reusable” versions that became a workaround after the state’s original 2016 C.E. ban — will be prohibited at grocery stores, pharmacies, liquor stores, and convenience stores. Shoppers will be limited to paper bags, which must cost at least 10 cents each.
At a glance
- California plastic bag ban: Senate Bill 1053, signed in 2024 C.E. and authored by state Sen. Catherine Blakespear, eliminates all plastic checkout bags at major retail stores beginning Jan. 1, 2026 C.E.
- Paper bag requirements: Paper bags will remain available for a minimum 10-cent fee, and by 2028 C.E. must be made from at least 50% recycled material — with fee exemptions for food assistance program users.
- Loophole closed: A 2022 C.E. investigation by California Attorney General Rob Bonta found that major plastic-bag manufacturers were not meeting the state’s recyclability standards, leading to a legal settlement.
How a loophole survived for nearly a decade
California voters approved a ban on single-use plastic bags in 2016 C.E., but the law left an opening. Manufacturers responded by producing thicker plastic bags and labeling them “reusable,” keeping plastic flowing through checkout lines for years.
Senator Blakespear argues those bags were reusable in name only. “Those single-use plastic bags, they are single-use,” she said. “That’s how we use them. That’s how they’re designed, and they’re not something most people are keeping around for 150 additional uses.”
The attorney general’s investigation confirmed the problem. It found that plastic-bag manufacturers were not meeting California’s recyclability requirements — a finding that ended in a settlement announced in late 2024 C.E. The new law makes the workaround impossible by banning all plastic checkout bags outright, not just the thinnest ones.
What shoppers can expect
The transition at the checkout counter will be straightforward. Paper bags remain available, and many shoppers say they already bring their own reusable bags. The 10-cent fee on paper bags has been part of California retail since the 2016 C.E. law, so it won’t be new to most consumers.
The law is narrower than it might sound. Compostable produce bags — the thin ones in the fruit and vegetable aisles — are still permitted. Plastic bags at clothing stores are unaffected. And consumers can still buy plastic trash bags. Senator Blakespear described grocery retail as “a discrete universe,” one where a clean, enforceable rule is practical.
Californians who use food assistance programs like CalFresh will be exempt from the paper bag fee, a detail that matters for the roughly five million households in the state who rely on those programs.
Resistance and real-world limits
Republican lawmakers pushed back, with Sen. Roger Niello calling the measure “overkill” and questioning its global impact. It’s a fair point to hold alongside the win: California accounts for a fraction of worldwide plastic consumption, and single-use plastic production continues to grow globally. The United Nations Environment Programme estimates that more than 400 million metric tons of plastic are produced worldwide each year, with flexible packaging — including bags — making up a large share.
Still, California’s consumer market is one of the largest in the world, and its regulatory moves have historically pushed manufacturers and other states to follow. The National Conference of State Legislatures tracks dozens of state-level plastic bag policies, and California’s has long served as a reference point.
A pattern of tightening the rules
This update fits a broader arc. California has been tightening its plastics rules for years — banning polystyrene foam food containers, requiring plastic packaging to be recyclable or compostable by 2032 C.E., and pushing producers to fund recycling infrastructure under its extended producer responsibility law. Each step has faced industry pushback, and each has moved the baseline.
The 2026 C.E. bag ban is one piece of that larger structure. The Plastic Pollution Coalition, which backed the bill, called it one of the most significant plastic reduction moves in the U.S. in recent years. Whether other states accelerate similar reforms — or whether federal rules eventually set a national standard — remains to be seen. For now, Senate Bill 1053 sets a clear date: Jan. 1, 2026 C.E., plastic checkout bags at California grocery stores are done.
Read more
For more on this story, see: ABC10 News
For more from Good News for Humankind, see:
- Ghana expands marine protected areas at Cape Three Points
- Renewables now make up at least 49% of global power capacity
- The Good News for Humankind archive on climate action
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