Can i put recycling in plastic bags

This law significantly reduced the amount of disposable bags, however, other kinds of plastic film remain abundant. Why have grocers like Berkeley Bowl, or recycling centers like the one in the City of El Cerrito, stopped collecting plastic film? From to , the state of California mandated stores to collect plastic bags for recycling via SB Many large retailers utilize large quantities of plastic wrapping to secure boxes onto pallets.

Until recently, this clean, uniform, bulk material had decent markets. Though blending in some post-consumer film collected from customers into the bulk bales was not a big deal initially, markets have since collapsed and quality control has become prohibitive. Today, if retailers can even identify a market, the material has to be extremely clean and not mixed with multiple types of colors of plastic.

On top of that, as of January 1, , the SB mandate has ended and stores are no longer required to collect and ideally recycle plastic film. In March , Berkeley Bowl informed us that the plastic film collection service they were using shared that the collected plastic bags were in fact not being sold for recycling and were instead being sent to the landfill.

So, Berkeley Bowl decided to stop collecting it. This is a common story, and explains why so many supermarkets have stopped accepting plastic film donations. The Ecology Center in Berkeley has never accepted plastic bags or plastic film in the blue curbside recycling cart—they get tangled in sorting machinery causing safety and efficiency issues. The Ecology Center advises to always contact locations first to ensure they are still accepting these materials for recycling.

We found that some plastic film does get recycled into other materials, but it is difficult to follow these film plastics into their next form. The entire recycling process is not well tracked, and thus, for the most part, we do not always know what becomes of the post-consumer plastics that are processed. This is part of our concern, and why it is most important that we focus on reducing our use first. To the best of our knowledge, the most common end products are plastic lumber and woven plastic shopping bags.

Locally, Roplast Industries, Inc. Currently, we cannot find any other products made in California from collected plastic film. The U. China was able to buy a lot of this plastic due to low wages and environmental protections.

However, in , China stopped accepting mixed plastic scrap because it was so poorly sorted and full of non-recyclable plastics and other contaminants. At the same time, because of increased fracking for natural gas and petroleum, virgin plastic is cheaper and more readily-available than recycled plastic, and thus large companies opt for the virgin plastic. The fracking boom has only exacerbated the collapse of recycled plastic markets. Some major brands have recently begun to include more post-consumer plastic in their packaging in response to consumer demands, but this has not had major impacts yet.

In , prospects are grim for international plastic film markets. Most have closed down completely or are only accepting extremely clean, uniform industrial scrap like leftovers from production , as opposed to post-consumer waste.

New international laws like the Basel Convention have begun regulating mixed plastics and film specifically, and many countries are now rejecting contaminated shipments. Some unscrupulous, grey market, and illegal waste trade still exist, but there are increasing barriers even in less regulated countries.

As a consumer, you vote with how you spend your dollar. Last but not least, visit our EcoStore and online store to purchase and learn more about sustainable products for your home—we have all the alternatives you need. As our store product policy , we generally avoid products that are:. Please contact helpdesk ecologycenter. Hi, I am trying to follow these rules, and I always take plastic bags to the store. Skip to content Accessibility. Supplementary Planning Documents and other guidance Brownfield Land Register Self and custom housebuilding CIL Neighbourhood Scheme Local Plan Issues and Options Consultation Neighbourhood Planning Borough Investment Fund Street naming and numbering Tree information and preservation Biodiversity Epsom General Hospital Public Inquiry Recycling and waste Waste collections today Check your collection day Christmas and New Year collections Simply Weekly Recycling Mixed recycling bin - weekly collection Glass recycling - weekly collection Textiles, clothing, shoes and accessories recycling - weekly collection Food waste recycling - weekly collection Refuse - weekly collection Garden waste recycling - fortnightly collections Help for the disabled or elderly What happens if a collection is missed?

Can I have additional bins? You are here Why is it OK to put plastic bags in food waste but not in the green recycling bin? Good question. Here's why. Plastic bags in food waste When you use plastic bags in your food waste caddy you're simply using them to contain the food, and keep your caddy clean. Why don't you recommend biodegradable food liners any more? Recycle them. Yes, you can recycle plastic bags—just not in your recycling bin.

Every year we use about half a trillion plastic bags. Plastic bags can be dropped off at most supermarkets and big box stores. Keep your eyes peeled for takeback bins. British Columbia residents can drop plastic bags and overwrap off at a Recycle BC depot. You can find your nearest depot here. Tacoma, Washington residents can do the same at the Recycle Center. Plastic bags are recycled into more plastic bags and composite lumber. Need specific information for where you live?

Wondering about recycling instructions for items in your municipality? Use our Find My Municipality tool and learn recycling information specific to your municipality. By simplifying the collection process, the single stream rolling bin has proven to dramatically increase the amount of recyclables collected and to increase recycling rates.

All good. However, there also are many items generally not accepted in the curbside recycling bin. But please DO recycle them.