Plastic Bags

Plastic bags are an increasing problem since they have become so widely used. Like all man made materials in our ecosystem, the use of plastic bags should follow the three R's:

Reduce Think about if you really need a bag when purchasing things and ask the clerk to save the bag for the next shopper. BYOB (bring your own bags) to the store when you shop. Many stores now offer reusable bags for a minimum fee. And don’t forget to use them. Some local companies like Costco and Gordon Foods don't use any bags and reuse their cardboard cartons for packing customer's purchases saving them and their customers money while reducing the number of plastic bags in the waste stream.

Reuse People reuse bags and over again in a variety of ways — as trash can liners, lunch bags, to pick up after your dog and just store their stuff. You can also reuse your plastic bags from your last trip to the store and many businesses will pay you to bring your own bags to reuse.

Recycle Use our locator to see where to take bags to recycle them — and give them a new life as decking, park benches, or even new bags. The city of Saline's Waste Management contract no longer allows plastic bags to be recycled as loose bags often get caught up in the sorting machines causing expensive repairs so collect your plastic bags in one of the bags until you have a basketball sized bag, then tie the handles together on the top and take those bags to a collection point to recycle.

Plastic Bag Recycling Locations Near Saline: