Where to Recycle Plastic Bags in Philadelphia

Ever wonder what to do with those pesky plastic bags? You’re not alone.

“A co-worker of mine has collected plastic bags for the past 3 years. He says we might need them. Well now they are taking up to much space. I want to recycle them. Can i put them with the rest of the office items i recycle?”

– Lauren, Green Philly Blog Reader

Ahh, Lauren. You must be still frustrated over how Philly hasn’t passed a Plastic Bag Ban, just like me! Plastic Bags…a highly un-recycled, taking up to 1000 years to degrade…they’re problematic and harm wildlife.

Unfortunately you can NOT recycle plastic bags in Philadelphia Single-Stream recycling… along with Styrofoam,  PVC pipe, packing inserts & “peanuts.”

Therefore, you can’t put them out with that office recycling, either. Here’s what you CAN do with them instead.

Where to Recycle Plastic Bags in Philadelphia

• Reuse them at the grocery store if you forget your reusable bag.
• Recycle plastic bags at Grocery Stores: Whole Foods, Genuardi’s, Giant, ShopRite & many other stores have bins to recycle plastic bags. (Hint: Call ahead to make sure your fav store still has a bin.)
• Use them for liners in your household trashcans – but you can typically ’empty’ garbage into one bigger bag instead of constantly using new bags to line.
• Animal Shelters like PAWS need them for doggie doo or cat litter.

Most importantly – encourage your co-worker to stop accepting bags & switch to reusable!