Plastic Bags

Plastic bags are rapidly becoming the widest-spread litter issue in America. Because of their composition and extremely light weight, plastic bags and film plastic require special handling. Most materials recovery facilities, or MRFs, aren't equipped to handle them. When tossed in a trashcan, the bags frequently escape and are blown about by the smallest breeze. Occasionally, the bags are even blown out of trash disposal trucks.

In order to keep plastic bags from cluttering streets, clinging to the Joshua trees, and jamming up recycling equipment in the MRF, take them back to the grocery store for proper recycling by the manufacturers. You can find the nearest location by searching www.PlasticBagRecycling.org or for more information, call 1-888-URECYCLE.

Plastic bags can be reused to line small trash cans instead of buying bags. Flatten a small plastic bag to put at the bottom of the kitchen garbage container to keep wet materials from sticking, instead of buying and using a big plastic bag to contain all the garbage. Reuse small plastic bags as car litter bags. But don't put them in your recycling barrel. Take them back to a store that offers plastic bag recycling, and do your part to clean up the environment!

Best Tip: Invest in some re-usable canvas or mesh bags and bag your groceries or shopping in them.