The Truth About Plastic Bags
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The following plastic facts have been compiled by the Eco-Awesomeness Team:

  • Around 380 billion plastic bags are used in the U.S. every year–more than 1,200 bags per resident.
  • Approximately 100 billion of the 380 billion bags are shopping bags.
  • It takes about 12 million barrels of oil to make that many plastic bags.
  • Only 1–2% of plastic bags in the U.S. are recycled.
  • The UN estimates that 46,000 pieces of plastic litter are floating in every square mile of ocean.
  • More than 1 million birds die each year as a result of plastic pollution.
  • Animals and birds also die when they ingest or become entangled in plastic bags.
  • Greenpeace says that marine debris has choked and entangled at least 267 marine species.
  • The toxic particles from single-use bags can enter the food chain when ingested by animals.

Cities that have banned plastic bags include:

  • San Francisco, CA
  • Malibu, CA
  • Palo Alto, CA
  • San Jose, CA
  • Long Beach, CA
  • Seattle WA