Plastic bags generally accounted for a larger share of items being cleaned up throughout the study period, but the increase was “markedly less” in areas with plastic bag policies.

Due to a ban on plastic bags, many shoppers are swimming in reusable bags. Some retailers are embracing paper bags, but critics say they’re also bad for the environment.

Plastic bag in a river. (Getty Images) Using a window of 2017 to 2023, they were able to note the measurable difference of plastic bag waste before and after the passage of laws, similar to ...