KEEP IT LOOSE

Don’t Be A Drag…Dump Out Your Bag

Plastic bags do not belong in your recycling bin.

Loose in the Bin

Not Bagged

No Bags, No Film, No Wrap... what does this mean?

  1. no bags in the binKeep your items loose in the bin (do not bag them)
  2. Do not include any type of bags, wrap or film including:
        • Grocery bags
        • Ziplock bags
        • Trash bags
        • Cereal bags
        • Bubble mailers
        • Bubble wrap
        • Saran wrap
        • Shrinkwrap

The only exception is shredded paper. Bag it in a transparent bag so the recycling team can see it, sort it out, and separate if for recycling.

Why are bags such a problem?

Bags are the number #1 challenge in the mixed recycling because:

• Labor Intensive: Equipment cannot sort bags, so they must be pulled out by hand.

• Hard on Equipment: If missed, bags get stuck in equipment and have to be cut out.

• No Markets: Unfortunately, bags that come from mixed recycling are too “dirty” for end processors. They end up in the landfill, just with a lot more effort and cost to get them there.

Millennium Recycling staff in Sioux Falls cutting bags out of the equipment.

Bagged materials can’t be seen or sorted by equipment.

What should you do with bags?

• Reduce and Reuse: Bring your own reusable bags (#BYOBSF) to the store and opt for paper instead of plastic.

• Recycle at Drop Off Locations: End markets are still available for “clean” plastic bags and film. Drop them off at participating grocery stores and other retailers with collection bins.

LOCAL BAG DROP OFF LOCATIONS
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