Recycling plastic bags

Minnesota Waste Wise is a nonprofit organization affiliated with the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. Minnesota Waste Wise helps businesses save money through waste reduction, resource conservation and energy efficiency. Our mission is to help businesses and organizations implement environmentally sustainable business practices while saving money and protecting the environment.

It’s In the Bag is a recycling program  for plastic bags, stretch wrap and other plastic film material while providing employment opportunities for adults with disabilities, who collect and sort the plastic material in their respective communities. The material is then sold to Trex Company, who recycles it into composite lumber products in the United States.

From October 2003 to December 2009, the It’s in the Bag program recycled more than 5.5 million pounds of plastic bags and film just in the Twin Cities metro area. This amount equates to approximately 850,000 square feet of Trex Company, Inc. decking or 1,695 decks that are 500 square feet in size. These numbers rise daily, and with the continued participation of residents and businesses throughout the state, the It’s in the Bag program hopes to keep recycling more than ONE MILLION pounds of plastic bags and film annually.

In St. Paul, clean, dry, empty shopping bags can be recycled at Mississippi Market.
Visit the It's in the Bag website for a complete list of drop-off locations.

Do recycle:
Plastic grocery bags

Plastic retail bags (remove string ties & rigid plastic handles)
Plastic dry-cleaning bags

Plastic cereal bags (must be dry with ALL food residue removed)

Plastic bread bags (must be dry with ALL rood residue removed)

Plastic produce bags (must be dry with ALL food residue removed)

Plastic wrap from paper products (paper towels, etc.)

Plastic salt bags (remove rigid plastic handles)
Plastic zipper bags (remove top closing mechanism)

Plastic stretch/shrink wrap
6-pack holder rings 

Don't recycle:
Plastic bags with food residue
Frozen food bags
Plastic bags with strings
Plastic soil or mulch bags
Plastic zipper bags with rigid plastic closing mechanism
Plastic bubble wrap
Plastic food containers
Plastic bottles