How much oil is used to make plastic bottles for needless drinking water and plastic bags for stores?

Question

and should they be outlawed

Answer 1

The Pacific Institute estimates that in 2006, it took the equivalent of more than 17 million barrels of oil to just produce bottled water for Americans.  More than 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide were produced bottling that water.  

I don't believe that bottled water should be banned; although,  the money we spend on it could  be better used  maintaining our public drinking water supplies.  I very seldom use bottled water myself, but sometimes I find that I must.

As for plastic bags, those actually require less energy to produce and transport than paper bags.  Usage estimates for the US range widely and I have seen estimates of up to 100 billion bags per year, which is high in my opinion.  Those estimates also advise that it takes about 12  million barrels of oil to produce that many plastic bags.  I believe that we should reuse and recycle all plastic bags, but I do not support a ban.  I also use cloth bags when I can remember to carry them with me.

Answer 2

looking at the answers why blame arabs for  oil prices

Answer 3

A lot of oil is used to make plastic!

That is an important question as few people know we use petroleum (oil) to produce plastic.

Our use of plastic has obviously increased and we certainly could find alternatives to using oil to make plastic or come up with some other type of material substitute. It ends up being economics which drives the use and need for those alternatives.  

We should not "outlaw" those products until suitable replacements are available.