Study: Plastic Bag Policies Cut Shoreline Litter by Up to 47%

A study published in Science (also covered by Time and Washington Post) found that U.S. communities with bag bans or fees experienced 25–47% fewer plastic bags on shorelines compared to areas without such regulations. The report highlighted that bag fees can be more effective than outright bans, especially when implemented uniformly at the state level. Despite the overall increase in plastic pollution, these policies are shown to significantly reduce specific sources of litter, aligning with ongoing global efforts for a plastics treaty