Polyethylene film recycling
Many stores throughout California collect plastic bags and polyethylene film for recycling. Some stores accept all clean polyethylene film, others only accept grocery bags. A new Web site at www.plasticbagrecycling.org/ provides a quick way to find stores and recovery facilities that collect plastic bags and film for recycling.
The American Plastics Council developed the Web site to facilitate the recovery of clean, dry grocery and retail bags, and polyethylene film such as stretch wrap and shrink-wrap. The site also has a film identification section, information on how to set up a collection program, a markets database, and tools to determine the cost-effectiveness of an onsite plastic film recovery program. Film plastic is recycled with wood waste to produce all-weather plastic lumber for outdoor decking and building siding.
Not all types of plastic have established recycling markets. The following table lists the types of plastic bags that are typically collected for recycling:
- Grocery bags
- Retail bags (hard plastic and string handles removed)
- Plastic newspaper bags
- Plastic dry cleaning bags
- All clean, clear bags labeled with a #2 or #4
