Putting recyles in a plastic-garbage like bag: Environmentally sustainable?

Question

The recycling program in the town that I live in requires residents to put their plastic recyclables into a blue garbage bag and set them next to their trash.

I always thought that garbage bags and plastic bags weren't environmentally sustainable, and using a bucket with recyclable plastic was always the positive alternative. I've never seen anything like this plastic bag.

Does anybody know if this program is more harmful to the environment than it is helpful?

This information will be insanely helpful, because if it is a harmful policy, I'd like to take the actions to have it removed and replaced with a safer, more earth-friendly one.

Answer 1

that's funny, sounds like a lot of work for someone at the plant taking it all out again.

we have wheelie bins and put the stuff straight in.

Answer 2

I think it's all about speed, how fast the guys can dump the stuff in the truck. It's faster and easier, usually, maybe to do it this way. Same with the garbage in bags now instead of trash cans.....

Answer 3

Plastics in general are not sustainable. I would have to know what kind of plastic bag (made of) it is and what your recycling facility is doing with them.

Answer 4

I buy my trash bags from a store that sells trash bags from recycled materials. They are also blue, so perhaps, that is the reason why your city required those bags to be blue (they are already recycled).

Also, if you notice, most large grocery stores now have "recycle bin" where you can drop off all of your plastic bags that you use when you purchase your food.  This means that plastic bags are generally recyclable, although most people don't think they are.

Answer 5

That sounds really stupid. Unless they are reusing the plastic bags, they have it all wrong. Write letters to the mayor and city surpervisors, as well as the local media. In my town, we have blue bins that we put our recyclables in. The bins are reused each week.