Plastic Bag Recycling Program Adopted in Texas

Several organizations in Texas have pooled their efforts to launch the “A Bag’s Life” plastic bag recycling awareness program in the Lone Star State.

According to a news release on the A Bag’s Life website (www.abagslife.com), Texas becomes the third state in the country to have adopted such a statewide plastic bag recycling program. Florida and Virginia also have begun promoting the plastic bag recycling program.

The A Bag’s Life program includes an interactive and educational website and mobile app that pinpoints nearly 1,800 drop-off sites by ZIP code and that promotes a make-your-own video contest.

The Texas General Land Office, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Keep Texas Beautiful, the Texas Department of Transportation, the State of Texas Alliance for Recycling and the Texas Retailers Association are among the associations involved in the public-private partnership that has kicked off the program.

Other partners backing the program include the Texas Land Commission, Texas Restaurant Association, Texas Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Stores, Trex and the Progressive Bag Affiliates of the American Chemistry Council. Participating statewide retailers include Brookshire Brothers, Brookshire Grocery, HEB, JC Penney, Kroger, Lowes, Randalls, Super 1 Foods, Target, Tom Thumbs, United Supermarkets and Walmart.

"Texans know it makes sense to reuse or recycle more plastic bags," says Jerry Patterson, Texas General Land Commissioner. Calling the awareness program a private-public sector solution to a public issue, Patterson adds, "A Bag's Life brings retailers, state and local government officials and plastic bag producers together to work to reduce the number of bags in our landfills. And I think Texans working together can make a significant difference."