California bill would ban all plastic shopping bags at grocery stores

Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California would ban all plastic shopping bags in 2026 under a new bill in the state Legislature. California already bans thin plastic shopping bags at grocery stores and other shops. But shoppers at checkout can purchase bags made with a thicker plastic that are supposed to be reusable and recyclable. Democratic state Sen. Catherine Blakespear said people are not reusing or recycling those bags, resulting in a substantial increase in plastic. Twelve states including California already have some type of statewide plastic bag ban, as do hundreds of cities across the country. Blakespear says “we are literally choking our planet with plastic waste.”