Data released by the United States Environmental Protection Agency shows that somewhere between 500 billion and a trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year. Less than 1% of bags are recycled. It cost more to recycle a bag than to produce a new one. There's harsh economics behind bag recycling: It costs 4,000 dollars to process and recycle 1 ton of plastic bags, which can then be sold on the commodities market for 32 dollars. Then where Do They Go?