The City of Madison now requires residents to recycle certain clean and dry bags. These bags must be recycled. You can recycle the bags in your green recycling cart by following the instructions below. You can also recycle your bags at one of the retailers on our list.
Note: You can still use plastic bags for trash. If you are using plastic grocery bags for your trash you can continue to do that.
It is important that all bags must be:
- Empty
- Clean
- Dry
What Plastic Bags Do I Recycle?
The City of Madison program accepts the following types of plastic bags for recycling:
- Grocery and retail bags
- Newspaper delivery bags
- Clean & dry bags labeled #2 and #4
- Some plastic film wrapping from plastic water and beverage bottle casing
- Some large pillow packing bubbles (pop the pillows before bundling)
how to tell if your plastic film/bags are recyclable
Trust your fingers.
If the plastic film is soft and stretchy like a retail or grocery store bag, it can be bundled into the "bag of bags" as directed below.
If the film is sticky, clingy, crinkly or, rips easily then it should go into the trash.
There is so much plastic film in our lives. And a lot of it is hard to tell if it can be recycled or not. After you feel the bags and you still aren't sure if it can be recycled, place it into the trash.
Do NOT Recycle
- Online shopping shipment bags (often a thick white or gray bag)
- Food wrap
- Softener salt bags
- Wrapping from meat products
- Dark green or black trash bags
- Compostable bioplastic film
- Bubble wrap
- Drawstring bags