Plastic Bags Going Away Statewide on New Year’s Day
SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) - Shopping bags are going 100% paper for 10 cents apiece statewide in California on New Years’ Day.
Some consumers say they aren’t very thrilled about it.
The state's overall goal of getting rid of plastic shopping bags for groceries has taken almost 20 years due to a few legal loopholes.
“I know we aren't going to order them, which is like the only consequence,” says Jacob Luke, one of the managers at Spencer’s Fresh Markets in Santa Maria. “Like, I don't know if there's any laws against the back stock just selling out what we have. Because they have our name and everything on them, which is cool.”
Thin, single-use plastic bags were banned in 2014 and the ban was upheld by voters in 2016, but thick, reusable plastic bags were still allowed, also for 10 cents each in most places.
“I’ve been to other states and the Caribbean,” says Long Mikita, who lives In Nevada & grew up In Santa Maria. “The plastic bags, they don't charge for them, you know, I kind of like that idea.”
The problem became that most consumers have been using these thicker bags only once and discarding them—leading to even more pollution.
“I reuse them multiple times,” says Mikita. “But I'd rather have the plastic versus the paper.”
In 2024 governor Newsom signed legislation for a full ban on all plastic shopping bags statewide, to begin January 1st, 2026.
“I just don't think that it was the right decision,” says Mikita.
Some locals say there is a lingering preference for plastic bags.
“Our plastic bags have handles and our paper bags don’t,” says Luke. “So people like, they like to use the plastic bag more because they're easier to use. But it's really just half and half.”
Many stores have already made the adjustment to avoid any penalties, and other consumers say they have gotten used to bringing their own shopping bags.
“There's actually people that are concerned and they're doing the right thing and they're using the bags for what they were intended for,” says Mikita. “And then if they’ve got extra they put them in a recycle bin.”
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