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Recycle 5

Recycle plastic bags

All Practically Green: 4,305 or so people have DONE this action so far.

All Practically Green: 35 or so people have ADDED this to their action plan so far.

Why is "Recycle plastic bags" green?

Nearly 1 million bags are used each minute worldwide. Recycling rates of plastic bags hover near 10 percent (only about a third of paper bag recycling). Suffice it to say that we have a long way to go to reduce the number of plastic bags that are thrown in the trash and wind up in our waterways as well as our overstuffed landfills.

Unfortunately most curbside recycling programs don’t currently accept plastic bags. If this is the case where you live, seek out a grocery or retail store near you that will accept them for recycling. If you’re fortunate enough to be able to recycle them curbside, make sure your bags are properly secured within the bin. They won’t get recycled if they blow away.

Reduce the amount of plastic bags you need to recycle by not taking them at stores in the first place—use a reusable bag instead. Reusing the plastic bags you do have stretches the considerable resources that went into making them.

How to: Recycle plastic bags

Check with your town or municipality to see if they recycle plastic bags. If they don’t, ask them to start.

Look online to find a store that accepts plastic bags for recycling near where you live. Double check to see what kind of plastic your bags are; some stores only take back plastic #2 and #4 bags. See if they take produce bags as well as shopping bags.

  • Earth 911
    • (6 Ratings)

    Search Earth 911's extensive database to track down recycling centers near you and learn how best to recycle, well, just about everything!

  • PlasticBagRecycling.org
    • (2 Ratings)

    If you are feeling overwhelmed by plastic bags, visit this website to track down municipal recycling centers, private recyclers, or retail stores near you where you can recycle unwanted plastic bags--just make sure that the bags are clean and dry.

  • SimpleHuman Stainless Steel Grocery Bag Holder
    • (1 Rating)

    Are plastic grocery bags taking over your kitchen? Here's a simple solution: mount this slim profile storage bin in your pantry, under your sink, or on the wall to keep plastic bags organized and at the ready.

  • Formbu Over-Cabinet Grocery Bag Holder
    • (1 Rating)

    Keep plastic bags at bay with this sleek plastic bag holder. Lined with renewable bamboo, this handy organizer can be hung over a cabinet door or wall mounted. Stuff bags in the top and pull out through the bottom for easy reuse.