RECYCLABLE PLASTIC BAGS
Plastic grocery bags are an extremely resource-efficient disposable bag choice.
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Plastic grocery bags require 70 percent less energy to manufacture than paper bags.1
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For every seven trucks needed to deliver paper bags, only one truck is needed for the same number of plastic bags, helping to save energy and reduce emissions.
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It takes 91% less energy to recycle a pound of plastic than it takes to recycle a pound of paper.
Less material means less waste and fewer emissions.
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2,000 plastic bags weigh 30 lbs; 2,000 paper bags weigh 280 lbs. Plastic bags take up a lot less space in a landfill.2
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Plastic bags generate 80 percent less waste than paper bags.2
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Plastic grocery and retail bags make up a tiny fraction (less than 0.5 percent) of the U.S. municipal solid waste stream.3
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Plastic bags generate only 50% of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of composted paper bags.1
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The production of plastic bags consumes less than 6 percent of the water needed to make paper bags.
Plastic grocery bags are fully recyclable4 and the number of recycling programs is increasing daily.
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Nationwide over 830 million pounds of bags and film were recycled in 2007 – up 27 percent from 2005.5
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According to EPA’s data, about 12 percent of plastic bags and film were recycled in 2007.3
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Plastic bags can be made into dozens of useful new products, such as building and construction products, low-maintenance fencing and decking, and of course, new bags.
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There is high demand for this material, and in most areas, demand exceeds the available supply because many consumers are not aware that collection programs are available at local stores.
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In recent years, many grocers and retailers have introduced plastic bag collection programs. Consumers should look for a collection bin, usually located at the front of the store. The number of municipal drop-off centers and curbside programs to recycle plastic bags is increasing also. Consumers can locate plastic bag recycling programs in their communities by visiting
www.PlasticBagRecycling.org.
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In addition to grocery bags, other plastic retail bags, dry cleaning bags, newspaper bags, plastic wrap from products like paper towels and toilet paper, and all bags labeled with recycling codes #2 (HDPE) and #4 (LLDPE) can be included wherever plastic bags are collected for recycling.
http://www.americanchemistry.com/s_plastics/sec_content.asp?CID=1102&DID=5615
06 2005
