How to Recycle Plastic Grocery Bags

How many of us get home from the grocery store, unpack the groceries and then look at the plastic grocery bags wondering what to do with them? If you have a stockpile of plastic bags stuffed into a cabinet, you are not alone. There are millions of plastic bags sitting in homes across the country and billions of them in landfills. Of course, it only makes sense to use a cloth or canvas shopping bag in place of these plastic bags, but it is not always that simple. I know that there are times that I forget my cloth bags or have too many groceries to fit in the bags that I have with me. So, even if you are trying not to use plastic bags, you may still have some make it into your home.

What it comes down to with plastic grocery bags is that most of use them. We just need to use fewer and recycle the ones that we do get. Keep in mind that not all items need to be placed in a bag. If you are buying a single candy bar or a magazine, just carry it out in your hand! By reducing the number of bags you use, you will have fewer bags to recycle. Then, recycle the ones you do have and feel good about helping out the environment. So, exactly how do you recycle plastic grocery bags?

One thing that you may need to know before finding a place to recycle your grocery bags is what type of plastic they are. If you examine the bags, you will see a recycle sign with a number inside of it. This HDPE number is what you need to know. Most plastic bags will be #2 or #4 and both of those are generally very easy to recycle.

How To Recycle Plastic Grocery Bags - Tip #1

Reuse them! There are tons of uses for plastic bags that many people never even think of. There is the basic doggy doo bag and then there is the bathroom trash bag liner. There are numerous other creative ways to use these bags. Check out this article by Rachel Pickett for more ideas on reusing plastic grocery bags.

How To Recycle Plastic Grocery Bags - Tip #2

Check your local grocery store for a recycling box. Many grocery chains offer their customers a place to deposit their used plastic grocery bags for recycling. If you don't know of a store in your area that has this option, check out PlasticBagRecycling.org to locate a drop off location near you. Just a quick hint, most Walmart stores have a recycle bin up front.

How To Recycle Plastic Grocery Bags - Tip #3

If there are no drop off locations in your area, you can contact your local recycling center to ask them if they accept plastic grocery bags for recycling. Many recycling centers will accept these plastic bags, but you have to make sure that they are clean, dry and empty. To locate a recycling center near you, go to the Earth911 website. There, you can do a search for recycling centers based upon items to be recycled and your zip code.

How To Recycle Plastic Grocery Bags - Tip #4

Check with your curb side recycling company. Some companies will accept the bags along with your other recycling. Not all of them do, so you will need to call and verify with your particular company.

Sources:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/721691/20_ways_to_recycle_plastic_shopping.html?cat=6

http://www.plasticbagrecycling.org/01.0/

http://earth911.com/