The Obscure History—and Future—of the Plastic Bag

Considering the growing frenzy to stop using them, and the trillions that have entered into circulation over the past half century, it’s startling how little is known about the history of the humble plastic bag.

For at least a decade now, the world has been producing hundreds of billions of the things each year, littering coastlines, poisoning fish and prompting policymakers the world over to try to restrict their usage.

The number of countries with some form of curb in place has at least quadrupled over the past 10 years. But as the restrictions gather pace, it’s becoming increasingly clear ...