Americans use an estimated 102 billion plastic bags each year, but less than 1% of them are recycled. Plastic bags are the second most littered item after plastic bottles, research shows. The amount of plastic waste in the US has increased from less than 1% of municipal waste in 1960 to more than 10% by the early 21st century. Plastic bags are not biodegradable, so they are at a high risk of causing problems in the soil or water if they are left in landfills, because more than three-fourths of all landfills are thought to have at least one leak.
More about waste:
If all of the paper and plastic cups and flatware disposed of each year in the US were placed end to end, it would circle the equator an estimated 300 times.
California spends about $8.5 million US Dollars (USD) each year to clean up plastic bags from the streets.
After Ireland started charging for plastic bags in 2002, their use dropped by 90%. The average Irish person uses less than 30 bags each year.