Recycling Plastic Film at Your Business

Many businesses in the U.S. collect plastic film, such as pallet wrap and product overwrap, in the back-of-house. And many retailers provide front-of-house recycling bins to collect post-consumer plastic film from their customers.

What are the benefits of collection post-commercial or post-consumer film?

  • Many businesses have sustainability goals. Recycling post-commercial film can help your business get closer to meeting those goals.
  • If you don’t recycle post-commercial film, you have to landfill it, which costs money. Recycling plastic film can help offset tipping fees.
  • There are markets for recycled polyethylene (PE) plastic film. Other companies use this material to create new products like composite lumber and new bags.

In this section, learn about recycling post-commercial and post-consumer plastic film at your business, including how to do it and do it well, how it can save you money in the process, and other companies that are having success with plastic film recycling programs.

COVID-19 and Plastic Film Recycling

NOTE: Plastic bags/wraps typically do not get recycled in curbside bins. They must be returned to participating drop-off locations such as retail stores for recycling.

Thank you for recycling your plastic bags and wraps.

During this COVID-19 pandemic, we urge you to recycle your plastic bags, wraps, and other film packaging at drop-off locations ONLY WHEN AND WHERE POSSIBLE.

Some stores have temporarily halted collection of plastic bags and wraps. And some of you are not able to venture out. If either is the case, please collect your bags/wraps at home until events change. Bags/wraps can be compressed and stored inside another plastic bag.

As always, please follow the direction of your local and state public health officials, and do not shop or take anything to a store/drop-off if there’s reason to suspect anyone in your household has been exposed to the coronavirus. If you do shop, please take appropriate steps to help protect store employees so they can continue to provide essential products during this crisis.

Thank you for your support of plastic film recycling. Recycling contributes to sustainability and provides valuable materials for American manufacturers, so we encourage you to continue recycling when and where possible.

Be safe.

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