Marine debris poses a global environmental problem, with negative effects on wildlife, human health, coastal communities and economies. Eighty percent of marine debris stems from land-based sources and is mostly the result of improper waste management and litter (Gordon, 2006). Plastic fragments in the ocean, which make up 60 to 80 percent of marine debris, arise from, amongst other things, structural deterioration or disintegration of plastic objects from packaging, clothing, household items, building materials and fishing/aquaculture gear (Gordon, 2006; GESAMP, 2010). Because it takes hundreds if not thousands of years for plastic to degrade in the marine environment, knowledge of the amount, distribution and fate of this debris is scarce, and the scale and impact both physically and chemically on marine organisms and potential human health impacts are largely unknown. Single-use consumer products constitute a large percentage of plastics found in waterways and thus need to be addressed in policy solutions. Besides efficient waste management, policies targeting a reduction in the consumption of such products can constitute a tool for reducing the litter that ends up in lakes, streams, rivers and ultimately the ocean. While, in terms of volume, plastic bags make up only a small percentage of consumer products found in waterways, they are a highly visible component of pollution, not least because they are easily caught in vegetation surrounding water bodies. Policies addressing plastic bag consumption may help raise public awareness of environmental issues and thus serve as a gateway to more comprehensive environmental regulation. The Ocean Conservancy has been actively involved in international coastal cleanup efforts for more than a quarter of a century as part of the Trash Free Seas program. The organization has been specifically concerned with marine debris stemming from single- use consumer items such as plastic bags. In order to address this need, the present study aims at analyzing the applicability and suitability of policy alternatives in addressing the reduction of plastic bags from ending up in the ocean. In particular, two different policy approaches are considered: plastic bag fees and taxes, and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).