Plastic Bags & Stretchy Plastic
Can you stretch it?
If it’s empty, dry, and gives when you press your finger in, it belongs at a RecycleOn Center — not your curbside cart.
Rule of Thumb
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Empty & dry Shake it out, let it air-dry
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Stretches under your finger Soft and springy, not crunchy
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One material No foil linings or paper layers
Recycle it here
Keep it out
Sorting, at a Glance
What Goes In, What Stays Out
If it stretches when you press your finger into it, we can recycle it. If it tears, crinkles or feels shiny and foil-lined, it’s mixed material and we can’t.
Yes – bring these in
- Grocery bags
- Bubble wrap
- Dry cleaning bags
- Wrapping around paper towels and toilet paper
- Newspaper delivery bags
- Magazine sleeves
- Zip-top stretchy bags
- Plastic shipping mailers (labels removed)
- Shipping air pillows (deflated)
- Cereal box inner liners (if they stretch)
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Case wrap from bulk goods
(water bottles, canned food trays, etc.) - Ice bags (empty and dry)
- Furniture or appliance stretch wrap
- Packaging wrap around electronics or household goods
- Plastic film wrapping around multipacks
No – keep these out
- Candy wrappers
- Chip bags
- Multi-layer bags and pouches (doesn't stretch)
- Pet food bags
- Compostable or biodegradable bags
- Pouches
- Stretchy six-pack rings
Frequently Asked Questions
More detail on why these rules exist, what happens to your recycling and how the law defines accepted materials.
Why can't I put this in my recycling?
Stretchy plastic items can’t go in the mixed recycling cart because the plastic wraps around the machines, preventing other items from being recycled and putting workers at risk when they go into machines to clear jams.
What are stretchy plastics recycled into?
After collection, these plastics are sent to recycling facilities, where they are shredded, washed and made into pellets, which are used to make other products such as packaging, composite decking, playground equipment and trash bags.
What does the law say?
Looking to learn more about exactly what is recyclable? Below is how the law defines these materials.
Items that meet the following guidelines are accepted at RecycleOn Centers. “Polyethylene (#2, #4) film and packaging that is: made of polyethylene film containing a minimum of 90 percent polyethylene and copolymers by weight, free of intentionally added PET, PVC, PVDC, paper, aluminum, degradable polymers and degradable additives, and free of or including flexible seals, closures or dispensers if they are made of polyethylene and contribute less than 10 percent of the total package, by weight, or no more than 20 percent for flexible PE seals or closures.”