The Task Of Getting Groceries Home From The Store Getting Harder In California

In 2014, California banned those flimsy grocery bags, claiming residents were using them one time, then throwing them away…filling up our landfills.

Instead, California decided to go to thicker plastic bags, which, due to their small size, have limited capacity.   You could buy one bag for 10 cents at the checkout stand, and the goal was to persuade you to reuse those thicker bags over and over again, because you had just spent a dime to buy one.

Well that idea was a bust, as people threw out more of those thick bags…filling up our landfills.  Recycling facilities are not recycling those bags either.

So, in January 2026, those thick plastic bags will no longer be sold for 10 cents at the checkout stand of your favorite store.

Instead, you will get a paper bag, or bring you own recyclable, reusable, sustainable canvas bag.  But you do have to wash those canvas bags periodically.

Angry woman with her fists on her hips and a paper bag over her had, with a frown painted on the bag.

Photo from Alpha Media Portland OR