Brown Signs Plastic Bag Ban

Sacramento, CA — Governor Jerry Brown has signed legislation that will prohibit most stores from handing out single-use plastic bags.

SB 270 bans grocery stores and pharmacies from giving out the plastic bags starting July of 2015. The ban will start impacting convenience and liquor stores the following year. It also provides up to $2 million in competitive loans for businesses that want to transition towards manufacturing reusable bags. The Governor calls it a “step in the right direction,” and he says it will reduce the amount of plastic polluting the state’s beaches and parks.

Plastic bag manufacturers, and industry groups, opposed the legislation, saying it will result in less manufacturing jobs in California.