California supermarkets to undergo major change in 2026

"A big change is coming to California supermarkets: The days of a cashier asking "paper or plastic?" are soon to be long gone."

"Under SB 270, the language of " single-use carryout bags" allowed for a loophole that plastic bag manufacturers seized on. Thicker plastic bags were not deemed "single use" because they could technically be reused up to 125 times, according to the San Francisco Chronicle."

""This measure will eliminate the estimated 2-3 billion plastic grocery bags that continue to be distributed in the state annually," Mark Murray, the executive director of Californians Against Waste, told SFGATE via email. The nonprofit advocacy group focuses on developing policy solutions for pollution and waste that threaten the public and environment, according to its website."

Beginning January 1, 2026, grocery stores, pharmacies, liquor and convenience stores in California will no longer distribute any type of plastic checkout bag, including thicker reusable bags introduced during the pandemic. Senate Bill 1053 redefines "single-use carryout bags" as "carryout bags," removing the thicker-bag exemption created under SB 270 and closing a loophole manufacturers exploited. The measure is projected to eliminate an estimated 2–3 billion plastic grocery bags distributed annually in the state. San Francisco implemented a plastic bag ban in 2007, and more than 100 other California cities and counties adopted similar local ordinances thereafter.

Read at SFGATE