California bans all plastic bags starting 2026 under new state law

California will ban all plastic grocery bags — including the thicker reusable versions — starting Jan. 1, 2026, under Senate Bill 1053, authored by Sen. Catherine Blakespear. The law requires grocery stores, pharmacies, convenience stores, and liquor stores to stop distributing plastic bags and instead offer 10-cent paper bags, with exemptions for shoppers using food assistance programs. By 2028, paper bags must contain at least 50% recycled material. State leaders say the law closes a loophole left by the 2016 single-use plastic bag ban after an Attorney General investigation found reusable bags were not recyclable. Some shoppers support the change, while others worry about durability. Republican lawmakers opposed the bill, calling it “overkill.” The ban does not apply to compostable produce bags. #California #PlasticBagBan #SB1053 #EnvironmentalPolicy #CaliforniaNews Get the news today live and weather with the free ABC10+ TV streaming app: https://www.abc10.com/article/about-u... Subscribe at: https://goo.gl/vai8Eu Find ABC10 online: https://www.abc10.com/ Sign up for our newsletter: https://www.abc10.com/email Stream ABC10 on Roku: https://channelstore.roku.com/details... Stream ABC10 on Amazon Fire: https://www.amazon.com/Gannett-Broadc... Stream ABC10 on AppleTV: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/abc10... Like ABC10 on Facebook:   / abc10tv   Like ABC10 on Instagram:   / abc10tv   Follow ABC10 on Twitter:   / abc10   App download Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/de... App download iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/abc10-n...