Waste » Residential » Plastic » Plastic Bag, Wrap and Film
Plastic bags and wrap make up the category “plastic film” (but not the kind used in cameras!) It includes everything from grocery and bread bags to the shrink wrap and plastic film around bulk products like paper towels and water bottles. Recyclable plastic film is identified with the #2 (HDPE) or #4 (LDPE) recycling symbol.
DO NOT PUT PLASTIC BAGS, WRAP OR FILM IN YOUR CURBSIDE CONTAINER! Plastic bags, wrap and film of any type are NOT acceptable in curbside programs. The plastic wraps around and tangles the recycling sorting equipment, causing the entire facility to shut down in order to cut the bags out of the conveyors and sorting equipment.
Why Recycle Plastic Bags?
- Plastic bags are among the most common sources of marine debris, where they can be mistaken as food by birds and fish.
- Plastic bags don’t biodegrade, meaning it will take hundreds of years for them to decompose in a landfill.
- Plastic is a petroleum product. Recycling a ton of plastic bags (about 450,000 bags) saves 11 barrels of oil.
Plastic Bag Recycling Process
Plastic bag recycling involves chipping the bags into pellets. While pellets can then be reprocessed into new bags, they will most likely be shipped to a company like Trex® to be manufactured into plastic lumber.
From reusable grocery bags to durable tote bags and organic cotton string sacks, there are plenty of options on the market today that will allow you to cart home your groceries. Reduce the impact of plastic bags by using these alternatives.
Recycle only clean, dry plastic bags and film. Remove receipts or any other items from bags.
Examples include:
- Bread bags, air pillows (used to cushion packaged items), shopping & carry out bags, produce bags, newspaper bags,, and dry cleaning bags (clean, dry and free of receipts and clothes hangers)
- Zip-top food storage bags (clean and dry)
- Plastic shipping envelopes (remove labels), bubble wrap and air pillows (deflate)
- Product wrap on cases of water/soda bottles, paper towels, napkins, disposable cups, bathroom tissue, diapers, and female sanitary products
- Furniture and electronic wrap
- Plastic cereal box liners (but if it tears like paper, do not include)
Do not include:
- Dirty or wet bags/film packaging
- Degradable/compostable bags or film packaging
- Pre-washed salad mix bags
- Frozen food bags
- Candy bar wrappers
- Chip bags
- Six-pack rings
Enter your zip/postal code here to find retail stores, municipal recycling centers and private recyclers in the US and Canada that accept plastic bags and film packaging.
Cleanwater.org provides information of marine plastic pollution.
RecycleYourPlastics.org is an easy to use resource on plastics recycling. Funding for RecycleYourPlastics.org is provided by the Plastics Division of the American Chemistry Council.
PlasticFilmRecycling.org is supported by the Flexible Film Recycling Group (FFRG) of the American Chemistry Council. The FFRG's goal is to double plastic film recycling to two billion pounds by 2020. To achieve this goal, the FFRG works to increase access to and participation in plastic film recycling for both consumers and businesses.
