Recycle those plastic bags
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| Many stores in the area have receptacles, such as the one above, in which residents can deposit plastic bags for recycling. |
by Tom Chillemi
Those flimsy plastic grocery and shopping bags can come back to life as sturdy outdoor lumber, said Tracy Hofmeyer, recycling coordinator for the Virginia Peninsulas Public Service Authority (VPPSA).
But only if people recycle those thin plastic bags.
VPPSA has recycling programs for almost everything, except for these “plastic film” bags, said Hofmeyer. However, they are recycled by a company named Trex, which is based in Winchester.
Trex has developed a nationwide program that collects these plastic bags and recycles them into a long-lasting, lumber-like product. “Trex’s infrastructure now supports the collection of plastic bags, at no cost to VPPSA, and removes that commodity from our waste stream,” said Hofmeyer.
Hofmeyer said thin grocery bags could not be handled by any of VPPSA’s recyclers, but Trex figured out a way to use them.
“It might seem that recycling a thin, flimsy bag would not make a difference. But add them all together, and it’s amazing what can be done,” said Hofmeyer.
Every year, Trex turns about 1.5 billion recycled plastic bags into eco-friendly outdoor living products, such as deck lumber, said Amanda Harrington, recycling promotions coordinator at Trex.
The products are made from about 50 percent recycled and reclaimed plastic, and 50 percent wood, such as sawdust, that is reclaimed from woodworking. These materials would otherwise go unused in landfills. (Virginia has mandated that localities recycle 25 percent of municipal solid waste.)
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| Several stores in the area accept plastic bags for recycling. Bags deposited at Food Lion stores are recycled into Trex composite lumber for decks, such as the one above, and for other outdoor uses. |
The Trex collection program for grocery stores and retailers has really taken off, said Hofmeyer. Trex works with schools to provide collection containers and sponsors plastic bag collection contests for students.
Collecting plastic bags, which can get hung in trees and in farm machinery, helps keep them in their place. “That’s helping the beautification in a lot of communities,” said Hofmeyer.
Several states are considering plastic bag fees and/or bans, and several cities across the nation already have enacted restrictions on the use of plastic bags. Shoppers in Washington, D.C., now pay 5 cents for each plastic bag used.
Similar legislation had been proposed for consideration by the Virginia General Assembly, but the proposals died at the committee level in the recently-completed session.
Proposed House Bill 1115 would have imposed a 5-cent fee on paper or plastic bags.
Proposed House Bill 521 would have banned “the use of plastic carryout bags by retailers at the point of sale unless such bags are (1) durable plastic bags with handles; (2) at least 2.25 mils thick; and (3) specifically designed and manufactured for multiple reuse.”