USA Today reported that Newsom initially banned thin shopping bags from all statewide stores nearly ten years ago, leading consumers to rely on thicker, reusable, and recyclable alternatives. However, the new SB 1053 legislation is more stringent, seeking to reduce unnecessary waste and protect the environment.

What does the plastic bag ban mean?

California Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, D-Orinda, one of several principal co-authors on the bill, emphasized that the plastic bag ban represents a positive step forward in helping the ecosystem.

“We deserve a cleaner future for our communities, our children and our earth,” Bauer-Kahan said in a news release statement shared on Sen. Catherine Blakespear’s, D-Encinitas, website. “It’s time for us to get rid of these plastic bags and continue to move forward with a more pollution-free environment.”

When did the bill make its debut in the Senate?

Sen. Blakespear and Sen. Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica and Bauer-Kahan introduced a stricter version of the original plastic bag ban (AB 2236) on Feb. 8, banning the use of plastic bags at all grocery stores and those that sell food, according to separate news release on Blakespear’s website.

“If you have been paying attention – if you read the news at all in recent years – you know we are choking our planet with plastic waste,” she said.

While the bill has been amended several times in recent months, the Senate collectively passed the law on Aug. 30, and it was enrolled on Sept. 4.

What date will the bill take effect?

The bill goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2026.

Transitioning from plastic to reusable bags

For a long time, shoppers could choose between plastic and paper bags. Now, if they do not have reusable bags, they must opt for paper bags instead, prompting a shift towards more sustainable choices.

Blakespear highlighted the checkout process and how it reduces “plastic bag pollution.”

“I thank Governor Newsom for signing this important legislation that will help protect California’s environment,” she said. “Instead of being asked do you want paper or plastic at checkout, consumers will simply be asked if they want a paper bag, if they haven’t brought a reusable bag. This straightforward approach is easy to follow and will help dramatically reduce plastic bag pollution.”

Other states have followed suit with this approach

According to a report from Environment America Research & Policy Center, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington are the 12 states that have enacted statewide bans on single-use plastic bags. The organization’s findings demonstrated that these bag bans have been effective for communities in those states.

On Sunday, California Public Interest Research Group Director Jenn Engstrom shared how the new bill aligns with the goals of the original ban that was enacted in 2014.

“Plastic bags create pollution in our environment and break into microplastics that contaminate our drinking water and threaten our health,” she told the Associated Press. “Californians voted to ban plastic grocery bags in our state almost a decade ago, but the law clearly needed a redo. With the Governor’s signature, California has finally banned plastic bags in grocery checkout lanes once and for all.”