As of Jan. 1, Senate Bill 1053 (SB 1053) officially went into effect in California, banning the distribution of plastic checkout bags in grocery stores, convenience stores and major retail chains statewide. The law closes previous loopholes by prohibiting all plastic bags, regardless of thickness, while allowing retailers to sell paper bags for a minimum fee of 10 cents and encouraging shoppers to bring reusable bags.
The new law builds on California’s decades-long effort to reduce plastic pollution. In 2014, the state became the first in the nation to adopt a statewide plastic bag ban with the passage of Senate Bill 270 (SB 270), which took effect in 2016. The law eliminated thin, single-use plastic bags in most stores. The original goal was to reduce plastic waste in landfills, waterways and public spaces by discouraging single-use plastic bag consumption and encouraging reusable alternatives.
However, the policy backfired, producing unintended consequences. In 2021, an estimated 460,000 pounds of plastic bags were found in California’s municipal waste stream, more than before the original ban. Since SB 270 took effect, many consumers have treated the thicker bags as disposable, similarly to the thin ones, causing the plastic buildup and more bags wasted than SB 270 intended
Consumers and students at Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) expressed their opinions on the new and preexisting laws, with concerns for the environment being a major topic among consumers…