Are Plastic Bags Recyclable?

I used to stuff all my plastic bags in a cupboard because I felt guilty about throwing them away. I’d reuse a few. But mostly, they’d just stack up for years until they were so packed in there I’d throw them all in the garbage and start again. I always assumed they weren’t recyclable — but I was wrong.

Of course, the best option is not using plastic bags at all, because the recycling process has downsides, and not all bags actually get recycled. I’ve since switched to canvas bags, and that ides is catching on. Next year, my home state of Colorado will ban single-use grocery bags. Some stores already stopped offering them, including my local Walmart. (Surprisingly, I have yet to see any customers grumpy about it).

There’s also a movement called Plastic Free July, inviting all of us to avoid single-use plastics for a month.

But not many of us can go completely plastic free. “Plastic bags are incredibly convenient,” says Noah Ullman, a Keep America Beautiful spokesperson. “Unfortunately, the typical ‘use life’ of a plastic bag is about 15 minutes, and if not disposed of properly, they can exist in landfills or, even worse, in the environment for a very long time.”

Because they degrade with sunlight, they also break down into microplastics, which contaminate waterways and get in our food chain.

“Recycling is the best way to give that plastic another life and reduce the consumption of natural resources and the environmental impact of producing new plastic,” says Ullman.

Here’s what to know about recycling your single-use plastic bags.

Are Plastic Bags Recyclable?

Yes, many kinds are. But never put any in your curbside bin, because they can tangle up and damage the sorting equipment at recycling facilities, causing major delays. Instead, take them to a local supermarket or other retailer that offers drop-off bins. You’ll often find these bins at the entrances.

“A handy trick you can use if you’re unsure whether a plastic item is too flimsy to be recycled curbside is the poke test,” says Jeremy Walters, a sustainability ambassador at Republic Services. “If you can poke your finger through the plastic, it’s too flimsy and should not go in your curbside bin!”

Which Types of Plastic Bags are Recyclable?

Most single-use plastic bags are recyclable. Even if they don’t have a recycling number on them, chances are they’re made from #2 or #4 plastic.

Recyclable plastics include:

• Grocery store and other shopping bags;
• Sandwich-type bags including zipping freezer bags;
• Bread bags;
• Newspaper bags;
• Produce bags;
• Plastic liners, like from cereal boxes, unless they’re paper-like and tear;
• Product wrapping, like what’s around a case of water bottles or a mattress;
• Dry cleaning bags without the paper and staples;
• Shipping air pillows, but pop them first.

Non-recyclable plastic bags include:

• Pre-washed salad and other crunchy-feeling bags;
• Compostable or biodegradable bags;
• Chip bags;
• Any bag marked with a #7 recycle symbol;
• Frozen food bags and others that feel particularly durable or thick.

How To Recycle Plastic Bags

Many retail locations, including supermarkets and big box stores like Target and Walmart, have plastic bag recycling collection boxes. Before dropping them off, bags need to be clean, dry and free of receipts.

If you don’t live anywhere with collection boxes, check the internet for mail-in services.

You can also turn your plastic into composite decking, thanks to the Trex Company. They partner with more than 32,000 stores nationwide that accept plastic films with recycling ratings of #2 and #4 and upcycle them through the company’s NexTrex Program.

“Basically, if it stretches, it qualifies,” says Dave Heglas, Trex’s senior director of supply chain excellence. “Trex is one of the largest recyclers of plastic film in North America and has diverted more than five billion pounds of discarded flexible plastics from winding up in landfills over the past three decades.”

Do Plastic Bags Actually Get Recycled?

Some do and some don’t. Ulman says, “Absolutely, these do get recycled. Recycling plastic bags in a single stream is a very efficient form of recycling and it helps feed the circular economy.”

But, a recent investigative report by ABC News proved otherwise. They put dozens of trackers in plastic bags across 10 states to see what happened when they were dropped off at recycle locations. Only four actually made it to facilities involved with recycling plastic bags. Many others ended up at landfills or incinerators.

“Drop-off programs for plastic bags are surely well-intentioned, but the evidence suggests that they don’t work, so they’re really just perpetuating production and use of items that we need to get rid of altogether,” says Dr. Anja Brandon, environmental engineer and Associate Director of U.S. Plastics Policy at Ocean Conservancy. “Considering how many plastic bags end up polluting our ocean (volunteers with Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup have collected more than 21 million of them in the environment since 1986) and how deadly they are to wildlife, the best thing to do is to avoid plastic bags wherever possible.”

Reusing Plastic Bags

Though they technically can be recycled,  it’s better to try to avoid using plastic bags in the first place.

“Flexible plastics often have low value and are difficult to market for recycling,” says Walters. “So ask for a paper bag, which is recyclable, or take your sustainability efforts one step further and bring your own reusable bags to the store.”

But even the most conscious of us still end up with at least a few plastic bags in our cupboards. When that happens, the most sustainable option is using them until they spring a hole, then taking them to the recycling drop-off.

“You can also find other uses for them around your home,” says Walters. “They make great liners for small trash cans!”