Why recycle plastic bags?

Question

I have a few Questions...

1. Why recycle Plastic bags (in like stores )

2. How many people recycle them

3. Links?????

Answer 1

I try to recycle them in stores (Stop + Shop). I don't know what they do with them, I should look into that. I hope they don't just throw them away.

The garbage pick up on recycle days doesn't take them, even though they have a 2 inside the triangle.

Answer 2

If it's recyclable, I recycle it.  Including plastic bags.  I saw a documentary many years ago about the environment and have recycled ever since.  It's great to see that so many people care and respect our surroundings.

Answer 3

you mean like stores, not stores, right?

Answer 4

every one should recycle plastic bags because they take a very long time to break down in the land fills. if they are recycled then they can be turned in to other things and don't fill up the land fills. as the worlds land fills are becoming full and there soon will be no place to put our garbage.   I believe ant thing that can be recycled should be.

Answer 5

i keep every single plastic bag i ever get and just keep reusing them but generally i use cotton bags when i go out knowing im going to buy something.

Answer 6

Plastic bags take a lot of energy (electricity) and materials to produce. When disposed of in domestic refuse, they also take many years to biodegrade (thousands of years?) in landfill. They are also hazardous to wild animals when disposed of irresponsibly. I try to reuse all of mine and have bought a large cotton bag to help reduce my use of 'plastics' when shopping. The main supermarkets are also selling 'bags for life' and starting to offer incentives for reusing plastic carrier bags but few are offering facilities to recycle plastic carrier bags (for the reasons-see below).If your supermarket does collect used carrier bags for recycling, you need to ask your supermarket what happens to the used the carrier bags they collect if this info isn't displayed.

I think the options for recycling plastic bags (and bottles, packaging, etc...) are limited in many Council areas, partly 'cos plastics don't weigh a lot and it is probably going to cost more to recycle them (can you imagine how many plastic bags it would take to fill a lorry?) than the Councils will get from the recycling companies. But as the charges for using landfill increase, more Councils will start to recycle plastic. It's still better to reduce your use of plastic bags wherever you can.

I don't know any links, I'm afraid. You could try contacting your local Council/supermarket and asking them if they are bringing in recycling plastic bags. However, plastic carrier bags are bad news as it will take so many to fill a recycling lorry (the Council may have to separate them from other plastics as I understand there are different sorts of plastics which can't be recycled in one container before being able to sell them, thus adding to the recycling costs) and the costs of producing them energy and material wise are so high. I try to avoid plastic carrier bags where I can and reuse the ones I get.