Using crowdsourced data from shore cleanups, researchers found that areas that enacted plastic bag bans or fees had fewer bags littering their lakes, rivers and beaches than those without them.

Policies aimed at reducing single-use plastic bags have led to a significant decrease in bags found on shorelines.

U.S. regulations and fees on plastic bags seem to be making a difference when it comes to significantly reducing shoreline litter, according to a new study published Thursday in the journal "Science." Anna Papp,