Every year, nearly 1 trillion plastic bags are produced worldwide. The average American uses over 300 of them annually for just a few minutes at a time. Because most recycling facilities cannot process them, 90% of these bags end up in landfills or the environment where they can take decades to break down and eventually become tiny microplastics that persist for hundreds or even thousands of years.
Plastic bags are manufactured globally. Once created, they’re shipped to a wide range of industries, including grocery stores, restaurants, and hospitals. After reaching consumers, most are only used once, for about 12 minutes, before being discarded. While convenient, many plastic bags go directly from store to home before entering the waste stream.
After use, plastic bags typically follow one of the following three paths:
Small changes in your daily routine can help reduce plastic bag waste. Here are a few simple ways to make a difference:
Plastic bags may only be used for a few minutes at a time, but their impact can last much longer. By reducing, reusing, and properly recycling plastic bags, you can help keep them out of landfills and the environment.
