California Governor Gavin Newsom has put an end to the "paper or plastic" dilemma at grocery stores by signing a new law that prohibits the use of all plastic shopping bags. The state, which had previously banned only thin plastic bags, will now phase out the thicker, supposedly reusable and recyclable plastic bags by 2026. Shoppers who do not bring reusable bags will be offered paper bags instead.

State Senator Catherine Blakespear, a proponent of the bill, argued that the public was not effectively reusing or recycling plastic bags, as evidenced by a state study showing an increase in per capita plastic bag waste from 8 pounds in 2004 to 11 pounds in 2021. The new legislation, which was approved by state legislators last month, is a response to the inadequacy of a decade-old bag ban in reducing plastic usage.

Environmental nonprofit Oceana praised Newsom's decision, highlighting California's leadership in addressing the global plastic pollution crisis. The state's action reinforces its commitment to protecting its coastline, marine life, and communities from the detrimental effects of single-use plastic bags.

California joins a growing list of twelve states that have implemented some form of a statewide plastic bag ban, according to the Environment America Research & Policy Center. Additionally, hundreds of cities across 28 states have enacted their own plastic bag bans.

The California Public Interest Research Group emphasized that the new law aligns with the original intent of the 2014 statewide ban on plastic bags, which was later confirmed by voters in a 2016 referendum. The group's director, Jenn Engstrom, stressed the environmental and health risks associated with plastic pollution, including the contamination of drinking water and the threat to human health.

Governor Newsom, who signed the nation's first plastic bag ban as San Francisco's mayor in 2007, continues to demonstrate his commitment to environmental protection through this latest legislative action.