Are plastic bags recyclable?

Question

I heard they are useless and not recycable, is this true or an urban myth ?

Answer 1

yes they are recyclable. just take a look on the bag if they have the recycle symbol on them, than they are. some may not have the recycle symbol on , but may have a plastic code rather than the symbol.
1 PETE, polyethyl tetraethylenei
2 HDPE, high density polyethylene
3 V, vinyl
4 LDPE, low density polyethylene
5 PP, polypropylene
6 PS, polystyrene

most cities are only equipped to recycle polyethylene, codes 2 and 4. (probably the source of the idea that most of them aren't recyclable)
the reason many things aren't recyclable, is because the expense to ship them to a facility that is equipped to recycle them would be too great.
another reason, is that many plastic containers, even though recyclable, may contain hazardous chemicals that recycling centers may have problems dealing with, or may cause injury.

and of course, biodegradable plastic isn't recyclable at all.
but the biggest problem with plastic grocery bags not being recycled, is people would rather think of them as non-recyclable, because it is easier to throw them in the garbage can than recycle them.(see a common belief structure arising from habits that aren't environmentally friendly?)

in the past, plastic grocery bags were not biodegradable and likewise couldn't be recycled, because no one was equipped to recycle them.
now more and more facilities are being built that can recycle more plastics, since we have become aware that plastic does pose a real threat to the speed at which landfills fill up.(wouldn't doubt prior to current knowledge there were those skeptics that argued that there was no credible evidence to prove this would happen)

also, research is currently being done to make plastic bags out of sugar polymers so they will degrade much quicker. but the only problem with that, is if you bury even organic matter, without turning the refuse so it will be able to be degraded aerobically, it takes far longer for it to decompose.
There have been instances where even bananna peals have been dug up from landfills years later, showing very little signs of degradation. does that mean they aren't biodegradable? no, it just means better disposal practices need implemented to make sure degradation occurs much quicker.

but it always a better practice to use objects, whether they are bags or anything else, that you don't have to recycle or throw away, but can use over and over again.

Answer 2

Wrong question!!!!!! Plastic bags ARE recycleable. Two methods come quickly to mind.... One, they can be melted, shaped in a draw-mold to form plastic lumber. Two, they can be re-polymerized in the appropriate solvent and NEW plastic bags made out of them.

The question you SHOULD have asked is ARE they being recycled To the fullest extent POSSIBLE? And that answer is NO they aren't. Most communities find it economically unfeasible to have programs for JUST plastic bags. Other communities use them as fuel in solid waste incinerators to generate heat which is used to produce steam to powere electric generating turbines, or the steam is piped to a nearby factory to produce something else. However, those incinerators also use other sokid waste as the fuel and although that IS a KIND of recycling, it's not what most people think of as recycling.
When you're asked at the store "Plastci or paper?" you should ask them, "Incinerate or landfill?". If the answer is landfill then choose paper, the plastic bags are very light and blow away quickly before they get covered by the soil at the end of the day, leaving the surrounding area looking very messy and trashy. Also, the plastic will NOT degrade for a long time in a landfill and paper WILL biodegrade over time. If the answer is incinerate then choose plastic because palstic is a better fuel for the incinerators and in most cases the incinerator sells off the heat or steam that burning produces.
The VERY best thing you can do is buy some of those "green" shopping bags that are made out of cloth and use those. They're reusable hundreds of times over, rapidly break down after they go into the landfill or can safely be burned in an incinerator.

Raji, (has an advanced degree in Waste Management)

Answer 3

For the most part they are difficult to recycle . . . if you limit yourself to thinking of them as use once and send to a place where they will be reworked into a new bag.

Reusing is also a form of recycling. You can take plastic bags with you when you shop and reuse them.

But back to your original question some stores have recycle bins where they gather their own bags and send them off to recycle. There aren't too many other places where you can take plastic bags to recycle. I doubt that there is much of a profit in small quantities to make it worthwhile. In fact, the city of San Francisco is moving to ban non-biodegradeable bags or fine grocery stores who don't use them since they create such a large part of non-compostible trash.
Currently most plastic bags labeled biodegradeable are really bags that will break down after something like 25 years instead of never.

Answer 4

Some are but many of them aren't. Have a look and see if the bag has the recycle logo on it, if it has then it can be recycled where facilities exist.

Surplus plastic bags can be given to charity shops, some stores (here in the UK at least, don't know about elsewhere) have collection points for unwanted bags.

You can also use a 'bag for life' - a plastic bag but much stronger and designed to be reused for many years, ask at the store if they supply them.

Answer 5

Some places are starting to take them in and recycling them. General Mills is recycling them and turning them into trash can liners, I think. The best thing to do is avoid them. The ones you already have can be re-used. Many crafters are starting to use them in some pretty creative ways as well.
Here's a link on recycling them
http://www.plasticbagrecycling.org/00.0/
And here is a fun craft site. They crochet plastic bags into a tote.. They are re-usable and STURDY!
http://www.plasticbagrecycling.org/00.0/

Answer 6

Most current grocery bags aren't, except by you reusing them (a good idea).

People are working on making grocery bags that are recyclable or at least that will break down and disappear after use.

Answer 7

Plastic grocery bags Type 2 (high-density polyethylene film - HDPE) and Type 4 (low density or linear-low density polyethylene film - LDPE/LLDPE) can be recycled at your local supermarket and other locations. Once the bags are recycled, they are made into lumber, trashcan liners or plastic bags.

Answer 8

It's true, plastic grocery bags are not recyclable, they sit for years and years in landfills. That is why some jurisdictions are pushing to do away with them or charge a surtax for their use.

Answer 9

i heard they arent recyclable but that may not be true as one day when i was shopping at Ralphs, i saw a bin near the entrance that says if you put clean plastic bags there, they will recycle it. so check at your local grocery stores as they might have some of those bins.

Answer 10

They are not bio-degradable, but with the right facilities, they are recyclable. An article I read at eHow said they are recycled into trashcan liners, lumber or plastic bags