Plastic Bags
What Should I Do With It?
Plastic bags are constantly offered to us at checkout counters and with takeout orders. Unfortunately, these bags can take hundreds of years to decompose and remain a pervasive source of litter in our communities. They cannot be tossed into your standard curbside recycling bin because their thin material easily tangles and damages sorting machinery, but they can still be recycled through special programs. Many local grocery stores and retailers provide dedicated drop-off hubs for clean, dry plastic bags. Just make sure they are completely empty, as left-behind items like paper receipts or food crumbs will contaminate the batch. Of course, the absolute best alternative is to bring your own reusable tote on your next shopping trip.
Before throwing this away, see if it can be fixed up, given to a friend, or donated to a local thrift shop. Keeping items in use is the best way to stop waste before it starts!
The recycling guidelines shown here are for general reference and educational purposes. Every city and town has different rules, sorting equipment, and recycling programs.
Please check your local town website or ask your local garbage collection program to make sure you are following your neighborhood's rules.