Plastic Bags Trash Plastic Bags & Film Reducing is better than recycling. Please remember to bring reusable bags when shopping. Plastic bags are considered plastic film. Plastic film includes wraps, bags, and flexible packaging. It is not ideal for curbside recycling collection because it can jam sorting equipment resulting in mechanical issues. To ensure plastic bags get recycled, bring them to a participating plastic film drop-off location. Empty bags, clean out any residue, and remove closures; only items that are clean and dry will be accepted. Not all types of plastic film are accepted at all locations. Confirm acceptability prior to drop-off. If you are not planning on taking plastic bags to a dedicated plastic film recycling location, then please place them in the trash container. Ways to Reduce Reusable Bags Bring along a reusable tote to save plastic on your next trip to the grocery store. Some grocery stores will offer a small cash rebate when you bring in bags. Ways to Reuse Reuse Plastic Bags Reuse plastic bags as much as you can. You can use them to line small garbage bins around your home and keep an emergency stash in your car for the days you forget your reusable bags at home. Did You Know? The Impact of Plastic Pollution More than one million plastic bags are used per minute worldwide, and on a daily basis, over 10 metric tons of plastic from Los Angeles enters the Pacific Ocean each day. Ninety percent of trash floating in the ocean is from plastic that will take between five hundred and one thousand years to degrade. In the meantime, one million birds and 100,000 marine animals are killed each year because of plastic floating in the ocean. Plastic Bags Become Composite Lumber Check out this fun video from Vancouver, Washington about how plastic bags and films are recycled into products like composite lumber, which is often used to make decks.