LDPE and HDPE resins are created using fossil fuels. Plastic bags often become litter due to how lightweight they are and end up in our oceans where marine life may mistake them as food, causing terrible harm to marine life in our already polluted oceans.īesides pollution, recycling plastic bags also reduce carbon emissions and greenhouse gas. Pallet wrap and shrink wrap Why You Should Recycle Plastic Bags.Deflate bags prior to dropping in the recycling bin to reduce the amount of space used. Air Pillows – like the ones you get from Amazon.Case wrap/Shipping bags (often wrapped around diapers, water bottles, paper towels, napkins, and toilet paper).Clean and dry soft plastic bags can all be dropped at your local Target, Walmart, or grocery store. These soft plastics can be taken to the same bins at grocery and chain stores. Most Plastic Film Can Be Recycledīy now you know that shopping bags are easily recycled at most local grocery stores or big-box retailers, but what about non-grocery bags? Almost any clean, dry bag can be recycled and become new items and stay out of landfills and out of our oceans. Smaller grocery retailers may also accept plastic bags for recycling, but you will need to check on your next visit. The recycling bins are usually located near the entrance and clearly marked to differentiate between the different types of recyclable materials accepted.

Safeway and all their associated stores.

Stores that Accept Plastic Bags for RecyclingĮvery major national grocery retailer accepts plastic bags for recycling including: The most common and convenient place that accepts plastic shopping bags for recycling would be your local grocery store. It’s always a great idea to reuse any disposable item as many times as possible before disposing of them. You can reuse them as small trash bin liners for your bathrooms or office. Try reusing those bags for other purposes before trashing them if they can’t be recycled.

If they don’t have the #2 or #4 on them, you can’t be certain what type of plastic resin they are comprised of and you will need to instead dispose of them in the regular trash. These are both easily recyclable and there are many places they can be dropped for recycling. Most retail and grocery plastic bags are #2 (High-Density Polyethylene – HDPE) or #4 (Low-Density Polyethylene – LDPE) plastic. Where to Take Plastic Bags for Recycling The short answer is…no, plastic shopping bags cannot be recycled in your curbside programs however, they can and should be recycled with a tiny bit of effort on your part. Thicker plastic shopping bags are still available at most retailers and these are indeed recyclable, however it is important to realize they cannot usually be recycled curbside. Since then, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, New York, Oregon, and Vermont have also enacted legislation to ban plastic bag use. California was the first state to pass legislation to ban single use plastic bags at large retailers in August of 2014. Currently there are eight US states that have a plastic shopping bag ban in place. What should not go in plastic film recycle bins? Can I Recycle Plastic Shopping Bags?Įveryone knows that reusable shopping bags are a great way to cut down on waste and help the environment.Companies that purchase recycled bags and film:.What happens to plastic bags that are recycled?.Why can’t you put plastic bags in curbside recycling bins?.Stores that Accept Plastic Bags for Recycling.Where to Take Plastic Bags for Recycling.

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