Video: Can I Recycle That? Plastic Bags

 

Plastic bags usually have a recycling symbol, but can you really recycle them? Yes, but not in your regular bins. Learn how to effectively recycle plastic bags by watching this video!

 

How to Recycle Plastic Bags

 

The recycling symbol is on tons of everyday plastic bags. But rumor has it you can’t recycle them. Is this a trick? Nope! That recycling symbol is meant to indicate what kind of plastic the item is made from. Plastic bags are technically recyclable. But most recycling systems aren’t yet able to process them.

 

The problem is, during the recycling process, plastic bags and other stringy things like plastic wrap easily get tangled in the recycling machines. It’s like hair stuck in a vacuum cleaner, but bigger. So keep plastic bags out of your recycling bin. Instead, look for stores with dedicated bag collection stations.

 

So unless you’re in a city with a curbside bag collection program, don’t toss them in. Otherwise, they’ll slow things down and cause perfectly good recyclables to end up in the trash.

 

More Recycling Resources

 

Once you’ve watched the video, check out these fun activities and lessons.

 

Lesson Plan: Fundamentals of Waste

Help high school students understand why waste management is a critical issue for a sustainable future. This lesson takes about an hour to complete.

 

Lesson Plan: Something From Nothing & the 3 Rs

This one is for the younger crowd. They’ll learn a new and exciting way to limit the amount of waste they produce by reusing it for something completely different!

 

Free Digital Slideshow: The Ins and Outs of Recycling

Getting ready to talk to your students about recycling? Need to lead a meeting about bringing recycling to your school? You’ll love this free recycling slideshow! It’s available in PowerPoint or Prezi.

 

Lesson Plan: The Life Cycle of Recycling

Have you ever considered what happens to an aluminum can after you drop it into the recycling bin? In this science and language arts lesson, students explore the life cycle of recycling.