Even those of us who are serious about not using plastic end up with plastic bags and other plastic items that cannot be recycled by the Single Stream Recycling System. The reason is that flexible film type plastic will tangle up the machinery used to sort the hard-plastic materials. We are frequently surprised at the number of people who have good intentions about recycling, but do not realize that plastic bags and other sheet or film plastic cannot be put in the single stream bins.
Drop-off boxes at grocery stores and other retail locations offer a way to recycle different kinds of plastic normally not accepted by Material Recovery Facilities (recycling centers). We are sure most of those reading this article use the drop-off boxes for grocery bags, but some of you may be unaware of additional items that can go in them. We suggest this basic rule: “if it stretches, it is plastic that can be put in the drop-box with plastic grocery bags”.
Our research identified specific information on what can go in those drop-boxes.
Here is a list from an article distributed by PAC, a company that produces polymailers and other
recyclable packaging products.
RECYCLABLE (Column 1)
- Bags & wraps labeled #2 & #3
- Poly mailers and poly bubble mailers
- Ziploc and other re-sealable bags
- Plastic grocery bags
- Plastic retail bags
- Newspaper sleeves
- Wood pellet bags
- Dry cleaning bags
- Bread & produce bags
- Bubble wrap
- Salt bags
- Cereal bags
- Case overwrap such as water bottles
- Toilet paper, napkin and paper towel wraps
NOT RECYCLABLE (Column 2)
- Biodegradable/compostable bags
- Chip bags
- Candy wrappers
- Most pet food bags
- Frozen food bags
- Prewashed salads mix bags
- Six pack rings
Not every plastic sheet can be recycled in the drop-boxes. Frozen food bags and pre-washed salad mix bags have a polymer liner that makes them unfit for recycling. If you don't see the item listed above in the recyclable items list and you don't see the How2Recycle label (https://www.how2recycle.info/) don't include it in Store Drop-Off recycling bin.
Two important tips from several sources are these. If it is a mailer or other plastic with paper labels, remove the label before recycling. Also, plastic must be clean and dry; no food residue, no crumbs, no liquid. If the residue doesn’t come off easily, they suggest you not recycle.
To find a Store Drop-Off location near you go to:
https://www.plasticfilmrecycling.org/recycling-bags-and-wraps/find-drop-off-location/. Other systems have other drop off locators.
Plastics recycled in these drop-off boxes are made into various products such as: containers, crates, pipe, railroad ties, new bags and film. Other products include composite lumber for fences, benches, decks, doors and window frames, and playground equipment. A company in Winchester, Virginia recycles more than a billion bags each year. Foreign markets have decreased acceptance of US plastics, but the 2017 National Post-Consumer Plastic Bag & Film Recycling Report shows increased domestic use of the material. People are encouraged to use recycled products so that recycling becomes profitable for businesses.
In the next quarterly newsletter, look for an article about planned surveys in Frederick and Washington counties of what people are using to carry their purchases from grocery stores. A group of Catoctin Sierra Club members are following activities of Howard County members as they work toward a goal of a 5-cent fee on all disposable bags. This fee has been in effect in Washington, D.C. and Montgomery County, MD for years, and there is evidence that it has increased the use of reusable bags considerably. At a recent training session, the three members learned details about the survey and the fee. Hopefully, there will be interest in bringing it to Frederick and Washington Counties.