Since San Jose, California enacted a plastic bag ban in 2012, there has been an 89% reduction in plastic bags in storm drains, a 60% reduction of bags in creeks and rivers, and a 59% drop in residential plastic waste, according to Reusethisbag.
San Francisco has saved a reported $600,000 per year in plastic processing fees since enacting its ban in 2007.
And Seattle, which banned bags in 2012, has seen a 48% drop in residential plastic bag waste, and a 76% decline in commercial plastic bag waste. The amount of plastic bag waste in Seattle landfills also dropped by half between 2010 and 2014, Reusethisbag reported.