If you look on the bottom of that plastic bag from your grocery store, you will find a number. This is the Resin Code, which identifies what kind of plastic it is. The number on most of these bags is 2, which means it is high-density polyethylene (HDPE). If you look around, you will find the number 2 on all sorts of things. For example, milk jugs and laundry detergent containers are made of HDPE. Paterson, like most towns and cities, recycles HDPE. However, even though plastic bags are made of HDPE, you cannot put them in your recycling bin. Why not?
Well, as it turns out, these bags are no good for the machines that automatically sort recyclable plastics. They can get caught in the conveyor belts and other mechanisms, reeking havoc on the machines, and even shutting down the whole assembly line! People often fill these bags with stuff before throwing them into their bins. The stuff inside can be anything, recyclable or not, so it is the policy of most recycling centers to throw away any of these filled bags automatically.
Not to worry! There is an easy way to help. Most grocery stores have recycling centers for these plastic bags. Just make sure they’re clean and that there’s nothing in them before you drop them off. They are then taken to plants with equipment suited to recycle plastic bags. You can also try and find ways to reuse these bags; try using them to store and organize things or, if you’re doing something messy, try wearing them over your shoes to protect hem. As always, a great way to help out is to avoiding using plastic grocery bags altogether and to get cloth bags!
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