Environment

California lawmakers approve plastic bag ban

California passed the first ban on single-use plastic bags a decade ago.
California Democratic state Sen. Catherine Blakespear gestures toward a person covered in plastic bags during a news conference at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024. Blakespear has authored a bill that would ban all plastic shopping bags in California. (AP/Adam Beam)

California lawmakers passed legislation Saturday that would ban thick plastic bags previously exempted under a decade-old law that sought to limit single-use bags.

“Instead of being asked ‘do you want paper or plastic’ at checkout, consumers will simply be asked if they want a paper bag,” Sen. Catherine Blakespear (D), the bill’s sponsor, said in a release. “This easy change eliminates plastic bags from the point of sale and helps California significantly reduce the plastic waste that is contaminating our environment and waters.”

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