Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Recycle Used Plastic Bags (Even Ziploc Sandwich Bags)

Who knew? Plastic sandwich and kitchen storage bags can be recycled along with plastic shopping bags in supermarket recycling bins.

By Selene Aparicio

Plastic storage bags may be easy and convenient, but they're also disposable and wasteful. We often toss sandwich and freezer bags after using them only once, tossing those fossil fuel-derived plastics into landfills and incinerators. However, now we have the option of recycling these bags at any plastic bag-recycling bin, like those now found at many grocery stores and supermarkets. That's right – those bins we all thought were for plastic shopping bags are good for other plastic bags, too, according to a Ziploc spokesman.
A recent partnership between Ziploc and RecycleBank means consumers can claim rewards for each Ziploc bag they recycle. RecycleBank rewards individuals for being green by assigning points for recycling and other actions. The points can be redeemed for rewards like gift cards and discounted products, similar to the way the rewards systems work on many credit cards.
So, if you can't reuse plastic storage bags, clean and dry them, then recycle them along with any other plastic bags you have cluttering up the kitchen in a supermarket recycling bin.



Gene Dempsey, City Forester
Environmental Services
Office - (954) 828-5785  Fax - (954) 828-4745

Think before you print!