Monthly Archives: February 2020

What bags can I recycle?

I was looking at all the things I have from the store that come enclosed in plastic or wrapped in plastic or in a plastic bag.  What gets  put in the recycle bin?  What has to go back to the store?  What doesn’t get recycled?   So many questions.  So I went to the NYS Dept. of Environmental Protection to see what guidelines were there and this is what I found:

Acceptable Film Plastics for Return to Retail Film Plastic Recycling

Note: All materials must be CLEAN and dry and ALL food residue should be removed. Receipts should also be removed.

The law requires that stores collect film plastics, which include:

  • grocery bags
  • garment bags
  • retail bags with string ties removed
  • newspaper bags
  • dry cleaning bags
  • produce bags
  • bread bags
  • cereal bags (but if it tears like paper, do not include it)
  • over wrap from paper products (paper towels, toilet paper, etc)
  • stretch/shrink wrap
  • zip top food storage bags
  • bubble wrap
  • air pillows found inside shipping packages (must be deflated)
  • shipping envelopes (must be all film plastic, labels removed)
  • furniture and electronic wrap
  • any film packaging or bag with the “How2Recycle” label indicating that it is plastic film and can be returned to store drop off

Now to find out just where to bring all these “acceptable plastics”.    Because judging from the above list,  I will have quite a bit.   Of course, there is always the option of making plarn from the bags.  You can find out about what plarn is here.

Now, the hard plastic containers are a horse of a different color and I am still trying to figure out if I am disposing of those correctly.

Remember, March 1 is the day the new regulations take effect so keep those reusable bags in your car.    Or you can just reuse the plastic bags you have already accumulated from previous shopping trips.     I am curious to see how many stores actually follow the new regs.

I’m off to check out a few more patterns for shopping bags.

Bye for now.  See you soon.

Ginny

 

 

 

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Bye Bye Plastic Bags

As of March 1st, there will be new regulations for the use of plastic bags in New York State.  Are you ready?

I am trying to figure out just what an “exempt” plastic bag is.  Also,  does this affect me at my craft fairs?   I do usually use paper bags for my customers but I do put my hooded towels in a plastic bag.  Do I need to change that?

My hubby does the grocery shopping as a rule and we have been using reusable bags for that for quite some time now.    Now I will need to keep some bags handy in the car for when I do shopping, grocery or otherwise.   I am experimenting with a couple of different styles, including one that I can easily keep folded up in my purse.  And, of course, I am going to make them colorful.   I’ll post pictures of what I come up with soon.

So, if you want to find out what might, or might not, be changing come March 1, you can read about the new regulations and who can and cannot offer plastic bags, you can go to The NY State Department of Environmental Conservation website here .

I’ll be in my sewing room making bags that will make shopping fun for me.  Ok, no, they won’t but they sure will make me smile more than the plastic bags did.

See you soon.  Bye for now.

Ginny