Although the ban on plastic bags is gaining in prominence as a policy option to manage plastic bag litter, there are mixed views on its rationale and effectiveness. This study employs a systematic literature review to understand considerations, benefits and unintended consequences of banning plastic bags. The review’s results pointed to the limited success of a plastic bag ban owing to lack of suitable alternatives, limited state capacity to monitor and enforce the ban, thriving black market, structural and instrumental power of the plastic industry. The power of the industry was manifested by the covert practice of deflecting accountability to consumers by focusing on business-oriented solutions, including an inclination towards self-regulation. The findings of this study underscored the need for a global treaty to address the transient nature of plastic bag litter and moving away from the symbolic gesture of targeting only plastic shopping bags but considering the environmental impact of all forms of plastic such as straws, foamed plastics, plastic bottles and caps. There is a general consensus in literature that the end of plastic shopping bags is not nigh due to their utilitarian benefits. This study therefore recommends the promotion of a circular economy focusing on ecological modernisation, sustainable plastic bag manufacturing and recovery strategies such as recycling as a long-term strategy. A significant strand of literature reviewed also recommends the adoption of community-driven approaches such as voluntary initiatives as opposed to a plastic bag ban as they proved to be effective in promoting environmental citizenship behaviours in countries such as Finland.

尽管禁止使用塑料袋作为管理塑料袋垃圾的政策选择越来越受到重视，但对其理由和有效性的看法不一。本研究采用系统的文献回顾来了解禁止塑料袋的注意事项、好处和意外后果。审查结果指出，由于缺乏合适的替代品、国家监督和执行禁令的能力有限、黑市繁荣、塑料行业的结构性和工具性力量，塑料袋禁令的成功有限。该行业的力量体现在通过专注于以业务为导向的解决方案（包括倾向于自我监管）将责任转移给消费者的秘密做法。这项研究的结果强调需要一项全球条约来解决塑料袋垃圾的短暂性，并摆脱仅针对塑料购物袋的象征性姿态，而是考虑所有形式的塑料（如吸管、泡沫塑料）对环境的影响、 塑料瓶和瓶盖。文献中有一个普遍的共识，即塑料购物袋的终结并不近，因为它们具有实用价值。因此，本研究建议促进以生态现代化、可持续塑料袋制造和回收战略为重点的循环经济作为一项长期战略。