Recycle Plastic Bags like Produce and Sandwich Baggies at Local Retailers

Oct 13, 2018

By now you’ve probably heard that plastic grocery bags should not be put in the curbside recycling container. You’ve probably also heard that grocery bags are widely accepted for recycling throughout Franklin County at nearly 100 retail locations including most Kroger and Giant Eagle stores.  However, you may not be aware that these same retailers also accept ‘film plastics’ for recycling too. 

Wait, what? If you’ve never heard of ‘film plastics’ read on. 

According to Plastic Film Recycling, plastic film is typically defined as any plastic less than 10 mil thick. The majority of plastic films are made from polyethylene resin and are readily recyclable if the material is clean and dry. 

So, what common households items are considered ‘film plastics’ and accepted for recycling at one of these local retailers? 

• Bread bags
• Dry cleaning bags 
• Grocery bags
• Newspaper bags
• Plastic Sandwich Bags (various sizes accepted)
• Produce Bags

Also included is the plastic wrapping frequently found around a case of water bottles, paper towels and toilet paper. 

When in doubt, it’s easy to tell if an item is made of film plastic and accepted in these programs by whether the plastic stretches. If it stretches, recycle it. If it breaks, don’t. 

Start recycling your films today. Simply input your zip code into the keyword search and find your closest participating retailer.