Plastic film is everywhere. Grocery and produce bags are made of it; paper towels are shrink-wrapped in it; and bubble wrap and mailer bags are made from it. It should be recycled, but not in your curbside bins. It can only be recycled through designated drop-off locations at certain grocery and retail stores.

To highlight the importance of keeping clean, dry plastic film out of the trash and out of curbside recycling bins, the health department visited two Putnam County grocery stores—Stop and Shop in Mahopac and Tops in Carmel—to “catch” community members in the act of properly recycling their plastic film. This outreach occurred during the week of October 19 to 23.

The list of plastic film items is long. In addition to produce and bread bags, household shrink wrap, and bubble wrap or mailer bags, other plastic film objects include Ziploc/resealable pouches; deflated shipping air pillows; dry cleaner garment bags, and furniture wrap and dry ice bags. If these are mixed with regular curbside plastic, it gets tangled in the sorting machinery and causes problems at the recycling facilities.

Mail-in recycling services are also available for plastic film, although a fee may be required and acceptable items may vary slightly. Check both retail and mail-in programs for their guidelines to make sure your materials are accepted. A general rule of thumb is that if the plastic stretches when you pull it, it is plastic film and can be accepted. If it tears or is crinkly like a chip or pretzel bag, it goes in the regular trash. Acceptable items must also be clean, dry, and free from food or other residue.

Recycling correctly helps keep valuable materials in use, reduces contamination in the recycling stream, and keeps plastic film from becoming litter or ending up in landfills. It may take a little more time to separate plastic film from your normal household recycling and garbage can, but it makes a big difference when these materials are processed on a larger scale at the recycling facility.

As we look ahead to America Recycles Month in November, it is a good time to remember that recycling isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Knowing what can be recycled, where it can be recycled, and how to prepare it properly is an important part of recycling responsibly and making informed choices about waste.

Residents can stay up to date with the state's recycling guidelines and check which materials are accepted at return-to-retail drop-off locations by visiting the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation website at: https://dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/recycling-composting/nys-plastics-reduction-laws/plastic-bag-and-film-plastic-recycling