Banning or charging for plastic bags is helping stop them ending up on US shorelines, a study of the country's litter suggests. Data from thousands of cleanups showed that areas which tried to reduce bag use saw them fall by at least 25% as a percentage of total litter collected, compared to areas that didn't try.

Some places have imposed “bag taxes” or fees on customers using plastic bags. Other places have experimented with bans — though they might prohibit thin plastic bags (which

Researchers find that nationwide policies to ban plastic bags may be paying off, with fewer showing up during coastal cleanups.