Plastic Bag Recycling

Virginia Department of Environmental Quality GET THE FACTS
May 2008
Plastic Bag Recycling
The Virginia Department of Environmental Qual- Plastic bags made with polyvinyl chloride are not
ity encourages households to reuse products and
as common as polypropylene and polyethylene bags
recycle wastes, including plastic bags. Most of the
and make up a very small percentage of plastic bags
plastic bags that are readily available to household
available to consumers. They may be reusable bags or
consumers are recyclable, and several grocery store
promotional bags but generally are not used in pack-
chains and retailers have drop-off locations in Virginia aging.
for recycling.
Both types of plastic bags are recyclable if they are
The majority of these bags are made with polyethyl-
separate from other types of plastic bags and if very
ene resins. The bags (sometimes called ?lm) are used
large quantities can be accumulated – generally at
in retail and grocery stores, with promotional items,
least 40,000 pounds. For these reasons, there are very
and as newspaper, dry cleaning, food storage and
few opportunities for household consumers to recycle
packaging wraps. Most of these bags are recyclable,
these types of plastic bags.
and businesses have a well-established infrastructure
for recycling them. For the purposes of recycling col-
Plastic or other bags that contain food, while techni-
lection programs that serve the general public, they
cally recyclable, are not accepted by recycling compa-
are often identi?ed as #2 and
nies because of the food contamination.
as #4 polyethylene
The majority of recycling collection
bags, which have
plastic
programs available to the general
different densities
public consider the following types of
Recyclable bags
or thicknesses. Any
plastics as contaminants to plastic bag
clean, clear plastic
Grocery store bags
recycling: food or cling wrap, plastic
bag labeled as #2 or #4 is
Some retail bags
sandwich bags, pre-packaged food
recyclable.
bags (frozen food bags or pre-washed
Dry cleaning bags
salad bags), black or brightly colored
Some food storage and
Recycling companies
plastic bags, and bags labeled as bio-
encourage household con-
packaging wraps
degradable or compostable. Consum-
sumers to recycle by the
ers should not save these types of
Any clean, clear plastic bag
bag type or its general use.
plastics for recycling.
labeled with #2 or #4
Many bags do not contain
the recycling symbol because
it is not required. For a listing of bags that are gener-
ally accepted for recycling by grocery and retail stores
Contacts
and recycling locations, please go to the consumer
education section of www.plasticbagrecycling.org.
Recycling and litter prevention of?cials in local
governments may have additional informa-
Bags not usually recycled
tion about where to take plastic bags for recycling in
Virginia. Contact information is available on the DEQ
Plastic bags made with polypropylene resin make website at www.deq.virginia.gov/recycle/contactlist.
up a small percentage of the bags that consum-
html.
ers use. These bags are made into shipping sacks and
some agricultural type bags, as well as some packag-
ing bags for unique items. They generally are not re-
cyclable in the markets that recycle most polyethylene
bags and ?lm at this time.
629 East Main Street ~ Richmond, Virginia 23219
804-698-4000 ~ (toll-free in Virginia) 800-592-5482
www.deq.virginia.gov

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