Plastic bags are a significant source of contamination in the recycling stream. When plastic bags are mixed with other recyclables, they get tangled in equipment in sorting facilities, causing frequent stops to remove them and sometimes damaging the equipment. Plus, they may NOT get recycled after removal.
Instead of mixing plastic bags with other recyclables, try these tips:
- Reuse plastic shopping bags by taking them back to the store and refilling them with groceries or other purchases.
- Repurpose bags around the house. Larger plastic bags can be used as trash liners for small wastebaskets, and smaller bags, such as bread bags, can be used for food storage or pet waste disposal.
- Recycle empty, clean plastic bags, such as shopping bags, dry cleaning bags, and plastic wrappers from cases of water bottles and other drinks. Plastic bags are accepted for recycling in special bins at stores, such as Target and Lowe’s. Check out this video from Earth 911.com for more on recycling your plastic bags.
- Replace plastic bags with reusable shopping bags. The easiest way to deal with plastic bags is to not have to deal with them at all!
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