SACRAMENTO - Roughly 10 years after California tried and failed to ban plastic bags at grocery stores, state lawmakers have passed a law that they say will forever end the choice of "paper or plastic" in checkout lanes.

“Instead of being asked do you want paper or plastic at checkout, consumers will simply be asked if they want a paper bag,” said state Sen. Catherine Blakespear (D-Encinitas). “This easy change eliminates plastic bags from the point of sale and helps California significantly reduce the plastic waste that is contaminating our environment and waters.”

Blakespear and Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda) had introduced identical legislation — Assembly Bill 2236 and Senate Bill 1053 — that sought to close the loophole that allows grocery stores to offer "reusable" plastic bags at the checkout line for a small fee. The legislation was approved Wednesday and now goes to Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk for signing.

Earlier this year, the consumer advocacy group CALPIRG released a report showing that 157,385 tons of plastic bag waste was discarded in California in 2014, and that by 2021, the tonnage of discarded plastic bags had skyrocketed to 231,072 — a 47% jump. Even accounting for an increase in population, the number rose from 4.08 tons per 1,000 people in 2014 to 5.89 tons per 1,000 people in 2021.

The reason for the increase, according to the Los Angeles Times, is that a 2014 law that aimed to ban plastic bag use allowed grocers to offer customers thick, heavier plastic bags that could theoretically be reused after purchase. In reality, however, those bags found little use after customers unloaded their groceries at home.

Story Date: September 13, 2024