Create a tax on plastic shopping bags, with a clause to insure that the tax is not directly put on the consumer.

Create a tax on plastic shopping bags. The tax would have a clause stating that any corporation or business that needs to purchase plastic bags for their use may not shift the cost to the consumer, directly or otherwise. Because of the clause, it would force the corporations and business to re-examine the fiscal sense of using plastic bags and they would look at more environmentally safe option for bags. This would largely reduce plastic bag litter across the world.

Here is a paper filled with research on the environmental effects of plastic bags:
http://bit.ly/1Fguq87