The 2026 Single-Use-Plastic Ban Map: Which States Are Next and How Grocers Can Stay Ahead with Bombay Bags
You’re already in trouble if you’re still trying to “wait and see” about plastic bags. I’m sorry, but someone had to say it. The ban wave of 2026 isn’t coming; it’s already here, and California just closed the last gap that stores could use to act like those thicker “reusable” plastic bags were okay. (Surprise!) They weren’t. It was known by everyone. (Come on.) The mess with rules we’re in Okay, so here’s the deal. At this point, the country is pretty much three different ones. You have your Ban-Forward States-19 of them, mostly expected ones like California, Hawaii, New York, Jersey, Oregon, and so on, plus Puerto Rico, which last July banned almost all plastic items to show everyone what it was all about. These states? They are no longer joking around. The big change for 2026 in California is that there will be no more thick plastic or lying; it’s just done deal. That won’t stay in California, either. You haven’t been paying attention to how this stuff moves around. Then there are what I call the “Don’t You Dare” States. Arizona, Florida (oh, Florida), Idaho, Iowa, and a lot of other places. Cities are not allowed to …
