Since 2010, more than 100 countries have implemented partial or total bans or fees on plastic shopping bags at either the national or subnational level. In the U.S., 611 state or local policies were enacted from 2008 to 2023—the overwhelming majority,

Local laws enforcing bans or fees for plastic shopping bags are associated with a 25 to 47 percent decrease in plastic bag litter found during shoreline cleanups, according to a new study in the peer-reviewed journal Science.