*California lawmakers recently approved two bills banning grocery and convenience stores statewide from offering reusable plastic bags.
Advocates of the bills, AB2236 and SB1053, argue that these measures haven’t been sufficient to combat plastic pollution in the state, KTLA reports.
Sen. Catherine Blakespear (D-Encinitas) authored SB 1053. In a statement, she acknowledged that California’s initial plastic bag ban has had unintended consequences.
“We need to do better. Shockingly, some 18 billion pounds of plastic waste flows into the oceans every year from coastal regions alone. California must do its part to eliminate this scourge that is contaminating our environment,” she said.
The bills passed their respective houses last week and are now moving to the opposite chambers. If enacted, stores can charge a 10-cent fee for paper bags or bags made from at least 50% post-consumer recycled materials.
“Plastics are the next front in our fight against big oil. By 2050, plastic production will exceed 20% of global oil production,” Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda), an author of the bill, said in a statement. “AB 2236 is a critical step to eliminate plastic pollution and eliminates an opportunity for the oil industry to continue destroying our planet.”
The bills received support from environmental groups but are also opposed by the American Recyclable Plastic Bag Alliance, representing manufacturers and recyclers of film plastic retail bags, per KTLA.
“If SB 1053 passes, the thick, recyclable plastic reusable bags currently mandated by the state would cease to exist. Passing this bill would likely trigger increased plastic use, eliminate the use of 183 million pounds of recycled content in California each year, exacerbate our carbon footprint, move jobs out of California, and significantly raise costs for working families,” American Recyclable Plastic Bag Alliance said, in part, in a statement.
The bills must pass the opposite houses and receive Governor Gavin Newsom’s signature to become law. If approved, the ban would take effect on January 1, 2026.
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