Measures to reduce plastic bags have led to a 25% drop in plastic bags in landfill, but the overall number is still rising.

Data from clean-up actions show that plastic bag bans and fees have reduced plastic bag use by 25-47% in areas with active policies compared to those without. The effectiveness of measures is higher at the state than local level, especially in regions with litter problems. However, the total number of plastic bags in the US continues to increase, and legislation varies significantly between states and localities. Bags account for 4.5% of collected waste, making them the fifth most common type of waste.