How To Recycle Your Soft Plastics With WasteNot

Plastic is one of the largest forms of global pollution, constituting around 18% of material in landfills and an estimated 40% of the world’s ocean surfaces. The U.S. alone generated 40 million tons of plastic waste in 2021 and only recycled 5% to 6% (2 million tons) of it. Of all the plastic waste produced, roughly 36% is classified as “soft plastics.”

Soft plastics, also called plastic film, are any plastics that can be stretched or scrunched into your hand. Soft plastics are difficult to recycle in most municipal recycling programs because they often jam the sorting machines, and therefore they cannot be placed in a standard recycling bin. Instead, they get sent to landfills and end up polluting land, rivers, and oceans.

To reduce soft plastic waste, WasteNot is now offering a soft plastic recycling program in partnership with NexTrex, a company that recycles soft plastics to create eco-friendly outdoor products (like decking and furniture). This program accepts any clean and dry film that stretches when you pull it. Dirty materials can ruin the quality of the plastic and prevent recycling from occurring, causing them to end up in the landfill anyway. 

To participate in the program, simply order a bag through the WasteNot Shop, fill it up with clean and dry plastic, and place it on top of your bucket on any service day. WasteNot is proud to offer a convenient solution to recycle plastic film, preventing plastic waste from entering landfills, rivers, and oceans, and decreasing the need for new plastics in manufacturing.

Here is a comprehensive list of soft plastics that WasteNot accepts through the soft plastic recycling program in the Chicago area:

• Any plastic that stretches when you pull it

• Pallet wrap

• Grocery bags

• Bread bags

• Case overwrap

• Dry cleaning bags

• Newspaper sleeves

• Resealable storage bags

• Produce bags

• Product wrap

• Retail bags

• Air pillows

• Bubble wrap

• Plastic shipping envelopes

• Cereal box liners

• Plastic films labeled with #2 or #4

• Ice bags

• Wood pellet bags

• Salt bags

WasteNot does NOT accept:

• Dirty plastic film

• Chip bags

• Candy wrappers

• Frozen food bags

• Pre-washed salad mix bags

• Pet food bags

• Personal protective equipment like gloves

• Meat wrap packaging

• Shiny, crinkly films

Most importantly, please remember to keep any plastic you wish to recycle clean and dry. For more information on the recycling program and acceptable materials, please visit the NexTrex website.