How many plastic bags does a grocery store use?
Matthew Harrington
Updated on January 14, 2026
Millions of barrels of oil are used to produce plastic each year in the United States alone. (EPA) The average family accumulates 60 plastic bags in only four trips to the grocery store. Plastic bags currently dominate commercial package markets.
How many plastic bags are bought every minute?
Plastic bags are one of the most controversial forms of plastic pollution today. We use them for only 12-15 minutes on average and bin over 1 million of them every minute. The US is responsible for around 327 billion bags ending up in the sea every year.
How many plastic bags are used in 2019?
This year 5 trillion plastic bags will be consumed.
How much single use plastic is used daily?
275,000 tonnes of plastic are used each year in the UK, which is equivalent to around 15 million bottles per day – and that’s just the ‘single use’ plastics.
Why grocery stores should stop using plastic bags?
Plastic bags also pose a danger to birds and marine mammals that often mistake them for food. Floating plastic bags regularly fool sea turtles into thinking they are one of their favorite prey: jellyfish. Sea turtles are shown to have a 50% chance of death after swallowing or choking on discarded plastic bags.
How do you avoid plastic in a grocery store?
10 Steps for a ‘Zero Waste’ Shopping Routine
- Reuse Produce Bags.
- Reuse Containers.
- Use Your Phone.
- Bring a Cloth Bag for Bread.
- Avoid Small, Wasteful Items.
- Use Your Own Bag to Carry Groceries.
- Always Keep Your Shopping Kit With You.
- Opt for Recyclable Packaging.
Why is single plastic bad?
Animals also mistake single use plastic as food and can choke or become fatally ill from toxins — such as BPA, flame retardants, and PVC — as well as from other chemicals it soaks up. If they’re not eaten, these plastic products can ensnare wildlife and end their lives by immobilizing or strangling them.
Which country has zero garbage?
Sweden is aiming for zero waste. This means stepping up from recycling to reusing.
How many plastic bags do people use each year?
Currently 100 billion plastic bags pass through the hands of U.S. consumers every year —almost one bag per person each day.
How many paper bags are produced each year?
Papers bags take more energy to produce than it take to produce plastic bags. Americans use around 10 billion plastic bags each year, which is equal to cutting 14 million tree each year. (Earth911) It cost more to produce paper bags than it take to produce plastic bags. The recovery rate for paper bags and sacks is around 50% (EPA)
How long does it take for a plastic bag to break down?
It takes up to 1,000 years for a plastic bag to break down. On average, a plastic shopping bag is used for just 12 minutes. What happens to the plastic bags? In total, we use 100 million tons of plastic every year. Some 10 percent of this plastic end up in the oceans.
How many plastic grocery bags are thrown away each year?
According to a report in 2004, roughly 80 percent of those bags were used in North America and Western Europe. Every year, Americans reportedly throw away 100 billion plastic grocery bags. (WorldWatch Institute)
