Legislation in Action: Measuring the Impact of U.S. Single-Use Bag Policies on Waste Reduction
More than 330 communities and 12 states across the U.S. have enacted legislation to reduce the environmental harms of single-use plastic bags—from litter and marine pollution to material recovery challenges. But what types of policies actually work, and under what conditions?
To help inform future policy design, this study combines two complementary analyses: a comparative review of 11 studies from communities across the United States, and a two-year case study on New Jersey’s Get Past Plastic Act—the most restrictive single-use bag legislation enacted to date.
The research evaluates the environmental and behavioral outcomes of different legislative mechanisms, drawing on retailer data, lifecycle assessments, and customer surveys.
Single-Use Bag Legislation Can Reduce Environmental Impact and Change Behavior
Our findings affirm that legislation can be an effective tool to reduce bag-related waste and emissions—particularly when it supports consumer behavior change.
Bag fees are the most consistent driver of reductions in single-use bag consumption.
Show moreUniversal fees applied to all bag types (plastic, paper, reusable) reduce impact more than bans alone in nearly every case.
New Jersey’s Get Past Plastic Act drove notable results.
Show moreThe legislation—which removed both plastic and paper bags from large-format stores—drove the following outcomes:
- 96% reduction in total bags distributed or sold
- More than 90 million bags avoided over 8 months across the 33 stores included in the study
- 71% reduction in material weight of bags
- 38% reduction in associated greenhouse gas emissions
There are Unintended Consequences to Consider
Despite these positive outcomes, the study also highlights the tradeoffs and unintended impacts that can arise without supportive infrastructure or community readiness.
Reusable bags must be reused to deliver environmental benefits.
Show moreThicker plastic alternatives, like low-density polyethylene bags and traditional reusable bags, have a higher environmental footprint unless reused multiple times—a threshold many consumers do not consistently meet.
Equity must be prioritized in policy design.
Show moreFees for bags, while effective, are inherently regressive and may burden lower-income households.
Explore the Report and Resources
This research reinforces that there is no one-size-fits-all policy for every community. Effective legislation is grounded in local context, consumer behavior and operational realities. Explore the full report to inform your approach to designing equitable, environmentally effective single-use bag legislation, and learn what it means for your community—whether that’s implementing bag fees, supporting bring-your-own-bag behavior or addressing equity and operational challenges.
Policy alone isn’t enough. Lasting impact depends on supporting customers in shifting to lower-waste habits. Explore actionable ways to encourage customers to bring their own bag—or go without one—through our upcoming consumer activation, our 2023 BYO Pilot Report and best practices captured in The Playbook.