My challenge to myself to do 'one more thing' to reduce my household waste as part of Zero Waste Week was to recycle stretchy, plastic bag type plastic.
As promised here is a months worth of plastic, destined to be recycled at the supermarket, in the container for recycling plastic bags.
Magazine 'envelopes',
Parcel wrappings,
Fruit, veg and bread bags,
Plastic carrier bags and plastic wrap used for packaging,
And toilet roll wrappers.
If you're wondering how I know whether the plastic can be recycled or not, then the answer is that I was guessing and if it was stretchy and plastic and like a plastic bag I put it in. Quite recently Shropshire Waste tweeted a few tips on types of plastic that can go in carrier bag recycling points (here, here, here and here). This week, while doing some Zero Waste Week research I found this blog post from Shropshire Composters, and this list from Recycle Now. Which pretty much confirms what I was doing, and lead me to discover I can put empty plastic cereal bags in the recycling too!
Some plastic film wrappers have helpful symbols on them too, this blue bread bag even tells me to 'recycle with carrier bags at larger stores'. You can't get more helpful that that!
I will definitely be carrying on my new recycling habit now that Zero Waste Week is over. Did you take part in Zero Waste Week this year? I'd love to hear all about it?
Don't forget, you can still find inspiration for ways to reduce your waste or go zero waste on the Zero Waste Week twitter, facebook, pinterest and website.
Thank you for writing this blog - I had no idea you could recycle other kinds of plastic bags such as bread bags - that's one less thing that will be going in my black bin bags in future! :)
ReplyDeleteI also had a plastic bag related challenge for Zero Waste Week - you can read about it here
http://kimbacooper.wordpress.com/2014/09/06/how-i-banished-plastic-bags-for-zero-waste-week/
Thanks for visiting my blog, I'm glad to share the info with you and that your bin will be a little emptier in future!
DeleteI'm a bit bummed Sooz that I didn't know about the "zero waste" week, I would have been all over that and involved my friends. I suppose I can do my own "zero" waste right? I just took my stretchy plastic bags to my grocery store a couple of days ago, here in Austin, plastic bags in stores are banned so even at the grocery store you have to bring your own bags, I loved when it went into affect last year but I have to say, it's harder than I thought, even a year later I still find myself forgetting a bag and I keep them in my van!! I did go to the grocery store today though and I remembered them! Yay! Because they cost a lot to replace all at once! I think the important thing to remember here is that if we try to put stretchy plastic into the regular recycle then the plastic will end up in the trash and a landfill because regular recycle plants don't take stretchy plastic!
ReplyDeleteI think you're awesome for all you do for our planet!
I hope you have a great week,
Tammy x
Oh dear, sorry you missed it. There's always next year, or as you say you can do your own!
DeleteI wish they would hurry up and ban plastic bags here, I try to avoid them and still end up with some creeping in. Well done for remembering to take your bags to the shop. it's hard to remember them isn't it! I have a massive handbag, so if I forget my reusable shopping bags I can sometimes fit my shopping in there!
Hope you have a lovely week! xx