BAG RECYCLING INFO

617-654-6580 Phone: Boston, MA02108 Street 1 Winter What Happens to Plastic Bags? Most plastic bags and plastic films SACK are recycled into outdoor furniture, decking and railing materials for homes and THE businesses. Approximately 2,250 plastic bags go into one typical 16-foot decking board! BAG!

What About Paper Bags? Paper shopping bags are

recycled and used in the

manufacturing of new

grocery bags and cardboard

boxes.

MASSACHUSETTS RESOURCES CONSUMERS:

Find a Plastic Bag Recycling USE FEWER Drop-Off Location DISPOSABLE www.plasticbagrecycling.org SHOPPING BAGS!

Massachusetts Department of DISTRIBUTED BY Environmental Protection www.mass.gov/dep/recycle

Massachusetts Food Association MASSACHUSETTS FOOD ASSOCIATION www.mafood.com

DISPOSABLE SHOPPING BAGS: PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS

In March 2009, the Department of WHAT’S BEING DONE REFUSE!HOW YOU CAN HELP

In March 2009, the Department of First things first: Do you even need a Environmental Protection (MassDEP) bag? Tell the clerk that you'll carry out and Massachusetts Food Association your handful of items. Be sure to keep

(MFA) set a mutual goal of reducing by your receipt handy! one-third the number of paper and plastic shopping bags distributed by MFA’s REDUCE! 500+ member grocery stores and Use disposable shopping bags only supermarkets by the year 2013. when necessary: to keep household soaps and cleaners separate from To achieve this goal, MFA members have foodstuffs, for example.

committed to: REUSE! • Promoting the use of reusable bags Bring your own canvas, cloth or Disposable shopping bags contribute • Providing in store plastic bag durable plastic bags. Many grocery to a variety of economic, recycling bins for customers stores offer 5¢ or 10¢ off your order • Offering reusable shopping bags for when you “bring back the sack.” environmental, health and safety problems. They: sale made with recycled content • Using disposable bags with more RECYCLE! recycled content • Waste natural resources Return unwanted plastic shopping bags

• Clog our landfills to your grocer. Please do not put plastic bags in your curbside recycling bin. • Create litter in our communities PLASTIC BAG recycling stations at However, you may recycle paper • And, endanger animals through ingestion and strangulation grocery stores and supermarkets accept a shopping bags in your curbside bin or at wide range of plastic bags, including: your community’s drop-off recycling

• Grocery bags center. • Newspaper bags • Dry cleaning bags Cutting down on the • Retail shopping bags (with string ties and rigid plastic handles removed) use of disposable bags • Bread, cereal and produce bags simply makes sense! • Plastic wrap from paper products and bulk items