Thirteen Years After City’s Single Use Plastic Bag Ban, Newsom Signs Law Banning All Plastic Bags

A new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday bans all plastic shopping bags, including those used in Pasadena stores.

The Pasadena City Council passed a single use plastic bag ban in 2011, three years before the state ban.

Felicia Williams, chair of the Environmental Advisory Commission said the ordinance represents a key step in an ambitious plan to reduce the city’s waste stream to zero by 2040.

At that time some local shoppers reported voluntarily switching to reusable bags before the plastic bag prohibition.

A loophole allowed shoppers to purchase bags made with a thicker plastic that purportedly made them reusable and recyclable.

State legislators approved the law last month, bans all plastic shopping bags starting in 2026. Consumers who don’t bring their own bags will now simply be asked if they want a paper bag.

According to state Sen. Catherine Blakespear, a state study found that the amount of plastic shopping bags trashed per person grew from eight pounds per year in 2004 to 11 pounds per year in 2021.