Ireland put a tax on plastic bags several years ago now. They are still available to buy in the supermarkets, but very rarely do I see anyone doing so. We are so used to taking our own bags now for the shopping, and a lot of shops have gone back to offering paper carry bags.
There was a lady in the UK who hit on the idea of importing bags made in the east, that read 'I am not a plastic bag'. The idea took off, big time, and they were eventually changing hands on ebay for a lot more than the original purchase price.
I made my own. It was completely different to the UK one, but still fun, and I get a lot of nice comments about it.