In a move that could make California shoppers reach for their reusable tote bags, the California Legislature is weighing a new bill that would outlaw all plastic shopping bags by 2026. The proposal extends the plastic crackdown beyond the thin bags already banned and targets the thicker varieties touted as reusable. Despite previous efforts, statistics highlight a growing waste problem: Californians are throwing away more plastic bags than ever before.
Democratic State Sen. Catherine Blakespear is spearheading the legislative effort. She cites alarming figures from a state study revealing that the amount of plastic bags trashed per Californian shot up from 8 pounds in 2004 to 11 pounds in 2021. Speaking to KTLA, Blakespear expressed her concern, "It shows that the plastic bag ban that we passed in this state in 2014 did not reduce the overall use of plastic. It actually resulted in a substantial increase in plastic." Her stark indictment continued, "We are literally choking our planet with plastic waste."
California isn't alone in its environmental efforts, joining a roster of twelve states with similar bans, as highlighted by the Environment America Research & Policy Center. Local governments are also taking up the gauntlet, with hundreds of cities across 28 states enacting their prohibitions against the plastic menace. The current statewide ban, initially ratified by the Legislature in 2014, later received the people's nod in a 2016 referendum—a direct democratic endorsement of environmental stewardship.
If the bill sails through the Legislature, it will come to Governor Gavin Newsom to pass into law—a prospect seemingly in line with his green record, having signed off on the nation's first ban while mayor of San Francisco. This information, along with details of the new legislative push, was brought to light by ABC7 and corroborated by CBS Los Angeles.
