Recycling plastic grocery bags? [Archive]

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Never Again

4-2-13, 10:26am

Despite my best efforts to use reusable bags, I often end up with a surprising number of plastic bags. Does anyone know if and how these can be recycled? My trash hauler has a separate recycle bin but they do not allow plastic bags.

Mrs-M

4-2-13, 10:36am

In our area, where we live, we have specific plastics bins located at the landfill where plastic bags and such can be deposited for pickup and I'm hoping, recycling.

Since switching over to cloth grocery bags (many years now) we don't accumulate plastic bags on the level we used to, which of course, tickles me pink.

Additionally, recycling units are also available in local supermarkets as a way of gathering-in and recycling used plastic bags that people/shoppers want to return.

Float On

4-2-13, 10:38am

I know our wal-mart, Target, Best Buy and several other big box type places all have boxes at the entry for recycling plastic bags. I sadly just use them for trash can liners around the house.

Gregg

4-2-13, 11:01am

We don't end up with a lot of them, but when we do its the same as it is for Float On. Ours also commonly end up filled with dog poop.

Never Again

4-2-13, 12:07pm

Thanks everyone. I will have to look for the bins at my local Big Box stores. I did try bringing some to my local Stop And Shop supermarket and asked about recycling but they looked at me like I had two heads.

SteveinMN

4-2-13, 12:46pm

Our local Goodwills are happy to see clean plastic bags; we separate ours in house by tying in knots the ones which are dirty or hole-y and recycling those at receptacles at grocery stores/Target/etc. and folding the good bags and placing them in a bag that joins us at Goodwill at our next visit.

CathyA

4-2-13, 12:57pm

Most grocery stores have the recycle bin. My only concern in taking them to places that re-use them, is that those people will throw them away. I usually opt to recycle them. But I hardly have any, since I use cotton canvas bags. some of them I've been using for 25 years, and they're still going strong!
I've started recycling lots of other kinds of bags.........ziploc bags, bird seed bags, etc., as long as they have a number on them.

Mrs-M

4-2-13, 2:11pm

CathyA. So totally awesome about you using cloth shopping/grocery bags for 25 years! Wish I would have started using them way sooner than I did.

Zoe Girl

4-4-13, 9:13am

rodeosweetheart

4-4-13, 10:07am

after cat poop and cleaning out icky vegetables in the fridge I use them to make rugs actually. I have made about 4 and I am working on my first one that would be for sale when I get etsy really going. If you are crafty, but it is a lot of work.

Do you have a pattern, Zoe? I have always wanted to try this. Or is it crochet--I don't crochet, just knit.

My favorite use for them is something I have never tried but wanted to try for 10 years now, since I saw it. You fill each bag with dirt and then stack them and cover over them with adobe or cob and make a wall. Someday, when we get our farm again

redfox

4-4-13, 11:38am

Tussiemussies

4-4-13, 3:37pm

Our grocery store has a bin in front close to where you walk in just for these bags. Unfortunately we use them to clean up after our dog and for small trash can liners. Wish there was some other way with the dog but we don't want to spend a lot of money to buy more plastic bags on a roll at say Petsmart...

Zoe Girl

4-4-13, 4:44pm

Do you have a pattern, Zoe? I have always wanted to try this. Or is it crochet--I don't crochet, just knit.

My favorite use for them is something I have never tried but wanted to try for 10 years now, since I saw it. You fill each bag with dirt and then stack them and cover over them with adobe or cob and make a wall. Someday, when we get our farm again

It is crochet, if you know the basic way to crochet and create a flat circle then you can do this. If you want to then i would start with just yarn and crochet a coaster

http://crochet.about.com/library/weekly/aa091104.htm

then the process of creating plastic bags into crochet materials is this.
* lay each bag flat and fold over until it is about 2 inches wide.
* cut off top and bottom (throw in the store recycle bin?)
* cut across in about 1-2 inch strips.
* you should have long loops of plastic bag now
* hook one to another and pull, then the next one to the open end, it is easy to show but hard to describe. I will look for a picture
* when you have a large ball of plastic crochet the circle with the strip of plastic and 2 stands of chunky yarn
this is great for using up scrap yarn as it is very forgiving.