[bb2018]

One rule of thumb I think about is that the cost of oil needed to manufacture/ship an item cannot exceed the cost of that item.

So, if a plastic straw costs two cents, then at most about 1/200th a gallon of oil/gas was used to both make the plastic and ship it to wherever you are.

It is very easy to look at the visual volume of straws or bags and feel like it is a lot of plastic - but in reality it is the equivalent amount of oil usage as driving a few more blocks.