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How to Recycle Plastic Bags and Films?

10 March 2011- Many businesses today want to contribute to the cause of more cleaner environment. One of the ways they find is packaging films recycling- to recycle plastic films and bags used by them either in their work space or as packaging materials for packing away their products. Many businesses (especially retail businesses) even offer their customers to bring the plastic bags back to their stores so that they can be recycled for further usage. However, in the event of ignorance about proper packaging material recycling procedure, these businesses mess up in spite of their good intention. They either end up having loss in plastic recycling or make it a procedure that becomes a headache for their employees. Here we give you a proper proper packaging material recycling program which can be followed to get good results and help businesses contribute to the earth's environmental cause!

Make a Plastic Recovery Program for Recycling

The first step towards packaging material recycling involves making an appropriate plastic recovery plan. This in turn will depend upon the amount of plastic waste your company produces and also the space available with you. These will only determine your plastic bags and films collection method. These will tell you whether you should self haul the collected plastic film waste to recycling facility or should take recycling pick up service. You can even decide to prepare materials yourself to sell to buyers. Smaller businesses with space constraints should go for a recycling service. There are many such services who either accept clean plastic films at their drop off recycling facility or give you pick up service. Large businesses who generate a lot of plastic film waste (above a ton of it every month) might consider making recycled plastic material themselves.

Sort the Types of Plastic Films for Recycling

Plastic packaging products are made of films or flexible plastic sheets. However not all plastic is recyclable. Plastic films made from polyethylene resin are mostly recyclable but they should be clean, dry, and not pigmented black. Resin identification codes on the plastic films placed by their manufacturers will help you in determining the plastic film grade and how far they are recyclable along with the resultant products that can be made with the recycled materials.

• PET 1- Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET, PETE) recycled flakes and pellets are in demand for spinning fiber for carpet yarns, producing fiberfill, geo-textiles, films, sheets etc.
• HDPE 2- High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) is in demand for making such recycled products as outdoor plastic lumber decks, fences and picnic tables, films and sheets as well as recycling bins.
• PVC 3- Vinyl (Polyvinyl Chloride or PVC) is in demand for making pipes, decking, fencing, resilient flooring, electrical boxes, packaging films and sheets, loose leaf binders etc.
• LDPE 4- Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) is in demand for making shipping envelopes, garbage can liners, floor tiles, films and sheets etc.
• PP 5- Polypropylene (PP) is in demand for automobile applications and for making storage bins, shipping pallets, sheeting etc.
• PS 6- Polystyrene (PS) is in demand for EPS foam protective packaging, plastic mouldings, thermal insulation etc.
• O7- It represents other plastics not listed in the above 6 resin codes. The recycled content of these are in demand for bottles and plastic lumber applications.

If you intend to mix the types of plastic films, first check the specifications of buyers. Many of them will accept the mixture of LDPE, LLDPE, HDPE, and MDPE.

Select the Plastic Film Recycling Procedure

You will need to tie up with a recycling facility to get your plastic films recycled. How the recycling facility will reach these plastic waste will depend upon the volume of plastic bags and films that you generate or collect. If you generate a small amount of clean, dry #2 LDPE or #4 HDPE film or bags, you can find a place to drop off these scrap plastic bags and film. If you generate about 1 ton of plastic waste per month, you can find a hauler that can pick up your material or a place to deliver your scrap plastic. However, if you generate even more than i ton plastic waste, you might consider searching for recyclers and asking whether they can help you find a solution for your plastic bags and films recycling issue.