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In most of Europe, single use bags are outlawed for white a long time already.

In my experience, to see how bad this can be, these days you need to go to Asia or Africa. Anecdotally, there is a lot less rubbish in Europe than there used to be.

1. https://www.greenqueen.com.hk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/pla... 2. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/gallery/horrifying-... 3. https://thebalisun.com/balis-most-popular-beaches-brace-for-...

> I can't recall when I last saw a plastic bag drifting about

In the US, this is so common it became a movie plot point:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qssvnjj5Moo

This. If anything it's all the other stuff that forms the bulk of the litter. Plastic drink containers, fast food packaging, etc. I can't remember the last time I saw a plastic bag. And I live somewhere that thankfully avoided that fad.

Plastic bags as litter were one of the big selling points of San Francisco's single use bag tax.