Ever wonder what happens to those plastic bags you stuff into the recycling containers at retailers? The ones you sometimes have to hunt for near the store’s entryway? These bins aren’t just for shopping bags—they’re for all sorts of stretchy plastic film, like shopping and home shipping bags, bread bags, frozen food bags, zip-lock bags, sandwich bags, produce bags, kitchen wrap, dry cleaning bags, and bubble wrap. But not everything belongs here—leave out cellophane (it tears and isn’t stretchy) and snack wrappers (they’re often too small or made of mixed materials).

This “plastic film packaging”, made from stretchy polyethylene, is recyclable at many retailers and drop-off centers, including Recycle Utah in Park City. A local retailer explained that collected material is gathered into huge shipping bags, combined with the store’s own plastic packaging waste, and transported to facilities. There, it’s sorted, baled, and processed into plastic pellets. These pellets are used to make new products, including plastic bags and synthetic lumber for fencing, decking, and outdoor furniture.

To ensure your plastic film can be recycled, it must be clean, dry, and meet the location’s guidelines. Contaminants like food, liquids, or non-recyclable items can ruin a load, making it unusable and destined for the landfill. If you’re ever unsure, it’s better to throw it out than risk contamination.

One of the biggest players in recycling this material is Trex, a manufacturer of durable composite lumber. According to Trex, a 500-square-foot deck contains approximately 140,000 recycled plastic bags! Since its founding in 1996, the company has diverted more than 5 billion pounds of plastic bags and film from landfills.

Trex has partnered with retailers and businesses to make plastic film recycling more accessible. To find a nearby drop-off location, visit nextrex.com. Smith’s stores, for example, are Trex recycling partners, making it easy for you to recycle responsibly.

By Bev Harrison