Today may not be an easy day to think about your dependency on plastic bags when you'd rather concentrate on more pressing matters. However, when you consider that an estimated 12,000,000 barrels of oil are required to produce 100 billion plastic bags used annually in the u. S. Alone, you might not be so quick to ask for one at the grocery store. Always transport your groceries in a reusable canvas bag and skip the plastic option altogether.