California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill banning plastic bags from grocery store checkouts, including the thicker, "reusable" bags that stores switched to after an earlier ban.

California and other states -- and some cities -- have learned a lesson: Bans on plastic bags don’t always go as planned. In fact, California's original ban made things worse.

California is banning single-use plastic grocery bags again after a previous ban allowed thicker plastic bags, leading to increased plastic waste in landfills.Bill Chappell reports for NPR.In short:California's 2014 ban allowed stores to sell thicker plastic bags,

In California, shoppers will no longer be offered plastic bags at the grocery store checkout. Under a new law, effective January 1, 2026, single-use shopping bags are banned from any point of sale. This includes bags made from plastic,

California became the first US state to ban single-use plastic bags. It proved to be a massive failure. Hoping to rectify the problem, the Golden State is doubling down with a new, even bigger plastic bag law.