Almost ten years ago, California passed a ban on single-use plastic grocery bags. At the time, it was estimated that plastic waste from discarded bags added 160,000 tons of waste to the state total. Despite legislation and attempts at providing alternatives, grocery bags now add 230,000 metric tons to the waste stream.
Part of the problem has been the widespread availability of alternative high-density polyethylene bags that are not recycled but are discarded, according to CALPIRGA, an environmental advocacy organization.
California Proposition #67 in 2016 failed to eliminate the previous law SB270 law enacted in 2014. Accordingly, the Legislature is now considering alternatives to high-density polyethylene bags, but this will require a radical change in consumer attitudes regarding use and recycling.
California SB54, enacted in 2022, is intended to phase out single-use plastic through the principle of Extended Producer Responsibility. This places the onus for recycling on manufacturers rather than municipalities. By January 1st, 2028, 30 percent of all plastic items sold in California will have to be recyclable rising to 65 percent in 2032 with a short-term goal of 25 percent for expanded polystyrene by the end of 2025.