As I understand it, research done on communities that have banned plastic shopping bags found that overall plastic bag consumption didn't change appreciably. People were in the habit of reusing such bags as garbage bags and whatnot, and when they were banned, they bought other plastic bags to serve that purpose.
My own experiences mirror this. Small sample size, but no one I know just throws away a plastic shopping bag after groceries are carried in; they always get reused.
My own experiences mirror this. Small sample size, but no one I know just throws away a plastic shopping bag after groceries are carried in; they always get reused.