California bans plastic grocery bags

California Gov. Edmund Brown on Tuesday signed into law a bill that bans plastic shopping bags, making the state the first in the U.S. to officially prohibit stores from handing them out for free.

"This bill is a step in the right direction - it reduces the torrent of plastic polluting our beaches, parks and even the vast ocean itself," Brown said in a statement. "We're the first to ban these bags, and we won't be the last."

The ban marks a victory for environmentalists, who say 13 million plastic bags handed out each year in the state end up in waterways and landfills and don't break down for decades. Critics argue the ban is misguided and will cost jobs.

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