RT Plastics Recycling Conference: In the Bag

While plastic bags have been cast in a somewhat unfavorable light by the media and some local governments, there are numerous recycling options for the material, according to Donna Dempsey of the Progressive Bag Affiliates, who served as a moderator on a panel entitled In the Bag or On Film at the recently concluded Recycling Today’s Plastics Recycling Conference and Trade Show.

The Progressive Bag Affiliates of the American Chemistry Council advocates the responsible use and recycling of plastic bags.

Dempsey commented that plastic bag bans, such as the one imposed in San Francisco, are not the best solution. “If you take one product away, another will have to take its place, and you have to consider the environmental consequences of that,” she said.

She added that the bags are already an environmentally sound choice. First of all, according to figures provided by Dempsey, 92 percent of consumers reuse plastic bags. Secondly, there are numerous recycling outlets available for the material, she said.

Katie Walker, Midwest buyer for Trex Co., Winchester, Va., said that the bags are part of the main feedstock for Trex’s composite decking products. “Banning is a short term solution, it’s not economically viable,” she said. “It’s not the bag itself that’s the problem, more the behavior of the consumer,” she added, commenting that concern over plastic bags as litter is a primary driver of plastic bag bans under consideration.

“We are trying to get the word out that we want this material,” she added. “There are end users.”

Richard Moody of Mountain Valley Recycling, Delray Beach, Fla., said his company also uses plastic bags as feedstock. In addition to plastic bags and film, Mountain Valley also recycles plastic hangers, Moody said. Through its partnership with NextLife, Mountain Valley recycles plastics into a number of consumer and commercial products, including garden supplies, bins, shopping carts. Through a partnership with Wal-Mart, Mountain Valley produces a decorative yard edging for the stores using Wal-Mart’s own plastic scrap as feedstock.

According to Phil Rozenski, director of environmental strategy for Hilex Poly LLC, Hartsville, S.C., significant gaps in the education of consumers have created misconceptions about the recyclability of plastic bags. He advocates creating “closed loop consumers,” who are educated about the recycling options for the plastic bags they use. Rozenski said that options like degradable bags are fine as alternatives, as long as they don’t interfere with closed loop recycling programs. “Compostable or biodegradable bags may reduce litter, but it’s not recycling,” he said. Reduction and responsible use of bags, encouraging reuse as well as traditional recycling can all work together to make plastic more sustainable, Rozenski said.

Recycling Today’s Plastics Recycling Conference and Trade Show was held June 22-24 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Rosemont, Ill. More information is available at www.RecyclingTodayEvents.com.