After two of Australia's biggest supermarket chains announced that they would stop offering single-use plastic bags to their consumers, the initiative has heavily contributed to an 80% drop in plastic bag consumption across the nation.

The plastic bag ban that was introduced at both Coles and Woolworths in August has prevented over 1.5 billion bags from polluting the environment, The Guardian reports.

Since the initiative has also helped pave the way for smaller businesses and retailers to introduce similar bans, some businesses have reported plastic bag consumption rates have fallen as far as 90%, according to the National Retail Association.

New South Wales is now the only Australian state or territory that has not yet introduced legislation to eliminate excessive plastic bag usage.

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