SACRAMENTO, Calif.—Since California adopted the nation’s first ban on single-use plastic shopping bags in 2014, most grocery stores have turned to thicker, reusable plastic bags that are supposed to be recyclable.
But Attorney General Rob Bonta is now investigating whether the bags are truly recyclable as required by law.
“We’ve all been to the store and forgotten to bring our reusable bags,” Bonta said recently. “At least the plastic bags we buy at the register for 10 cents have those ‘chasing arrows’ that say they are 100 percent recyclable, right? Perhaps wrong.”
California Attorney General Rob Bonta speaks at a news conference in Sacramento on June 28, 2022. (Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo)
He asked six bag manufacturers to back up their claims that the bags can be recycled and threatened legal action that could include banning the bags temporarily or issuing multimillion-dollar fines….