| 1. Big Y Foods, Inc. | http://www.bigy.com | |
| 2. Hannaford Bros. Co. | http://www.hannaford.com | |
| 3. Harvest Co-op | http://www.harvestcoop.com | |
| 4. MarketBasket supermarkets | http://supportmarketbasket.org/storelocations.aspx | |
| 5. Shaws | http://www.shaws.com | |
| 6. Staples | http://www.staples.com/ | |
| 7. Star Market | http://www.supervalu.com/ | |
| 8. Stop & Shop | http://www.stopandshop.com/ | |
| 9. TAGS Hardware | http://www.tagshardware.com | |
| 10. Wal-Mart | http://www.walmart.com | |
| 11. Whole Foods | http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/ |
Don't forget, and PLEASE!, recycle all #2 and #4 bags...unless your community accepts other #s. Go to your county's waste management site to check what local stores will accept.
#2 and #4 include but are not limited to:
* DRY CLEANING BAGS
* GROCERY STORE BAGS
*FOOD WRAPPERS (CHECK THE BAG FOR #) INCLUDING BREAD BAGS, TORTILLAS, FROZEN FOODS, PITA, SALAD MIX. ***NOT ALL WRAPPERS ARE RECYCLABLE***
* ICE BAGS
*WOOD STOVE AND PELLET FUEL BAGS (#4)
* COLORED AND CLEAR NEWSPAPER BAGS
*ANY ANY ANY BAG WITH #2 AND #4, EVEN SOME BLUE AND COLORED BAGS ARE LABELED FOR RECYCLING...
Please take the extra moment and check to see if it's recyclable before tossing it in the trash or bundling it up for me to use :) Also, please rinse out your bags before donating!
About 30% of donations that come in to Lou's Upcycles are actually plastics that can be recycled!
Thanks for all you do,
Lou
5 comments:
I'm a big recycler and re-purposer, but I had heard that a lot of places that claim to recycle bags just send them overseas to be landfilled or burned. I definitely don't want to contribute to that nightmare. That's why I have been sending mine to you, Lou.
If you're sure they are actually being recycled, then I'll separate the #2 and #4 bags if you wish.
Chris P.
We can rest assured in MA because we have one of the best % of bags that are ACTUALLY recycled...
Hi,
The biggest confusion for me is where to locate the Numbers (#2 or #4) on the packaging. (If there is not a recycle triangle) I see other random #'s printed on bags at times, but how do you know if it is telling you what type of plastic it is? And how do you now what number it is if there is nothing printed on it at all? I also have a hard time figuring out if things like drink pouches Etc. are recyclable
or not, many things seem to have a "foily" and plastic feel to them.
Not sure what they really are.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Yes, the whole system is VERY confusing, I agree. Also, each community has different rules so make sure you check your town's waste management site for more information.
So, juice pouches are not recyclable, however you can get in touch with the local school and chances are they are collecting them for www.terracycle.com which pays out $.02 per pouch to schools and civic groups.
As far as the numbering goes, there is, and often times not, a triangle with arrows located somewhere on the bag. Inside the triangle is a number 1-7. The number must be located within the triangle, then you know it is describing what type of plastic it is.
If you see a #2 or #4, it can be put in with other recyclable bags and taken to the grocery store.
If there is no number, assume that it is un-recyclable and must be thrown away or given to Lou's Upcycles :) (The exception to this are the clear bags that are listed above like ziplocs, dry cleaning, produce bags, etc. that aren't marked but can be recycled. Make sure you stick to that list for unmarked bags. All other unmarked bags are trash.)
Bags like chips and other "foily" bags will never be recyclable as they are made with many different types of plastic, hence you will never see a triangle/number on them. They are trash but I can definitely upcycle them!
Bottom line, if you see a number and it matches the list recycle. If there is no number, reuse then toss.
One day we'll have a national system and manufacturers will use recyclable packaging at all times. Until then, we have to work hard and sort every bag. Decrease your work load and buy things not wrapped in plastic if possible, then you don't have to play the game. :) Thanks for all you do! Please email me: lousupcycles@gmail.com with any more questions.
Wegmans Food Markets also has bins where you can recycle plastic bags. :)
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