It's In the Bag! (to recycle plastic bags, that is)

Despite our best efforts, we all end up with plastic bags, plastic wrap, plastic film, etc... Did you know that all that plastic can be recycled??

Through the "It's in the Bag" program, that material is recycled into Trex composite decking material! There are collection sites all over the metro, including most grocery stores (Cub, Lunds, Jerry's, Co-ops, Kowalskis, Byerly's). Simply drop CLEAN & DRY accepted materials (see complete list below) into the designated collection bins, where there are picked up by Merrick, Inc. a local nonprofit that works with adults with developmental disabilities. The materials are sorted, baled & shipped by Merrick to Trex!

It's that simple!

ACCEPTABLE MATERIALS

• Plastic grocery bags
• Plastic retail bags with string ties and rigid plastic handles removed
• Plastic newspaper bags
• Plastic dry-cleaning bags
• Plastic produce bags with ALL food residue removed
• Plastic bread bags with ALL food residue removed
• Plastic cereal bags with ALL food residue removed
• Plastic frozen food bags with ALL food residue removed
• Plastic wrap from paper products (paper towels, etc)
• Plastic salt bags with rigid plastic handles removed
• Plastic stretch/shrink wrap
• Plastic zipper type bags WITHOUT rigid plastic closing mechanism

Note: All material must be clean and dry

UNACCEPTABLE MATERIALS

• Plastic bags with strings or rigid plastic handles
• Plastic bags with food residue
• Plastic soil or mulch bags
• Plastic zipper type bags with rigid plastic closing mechanism
• Plastic bubble wrap
• Plastic food containers
• Plastic bottles

Since its inception in October 2003, more than 4.5 million pounds of plastic bags and film have been recycled through the It’s in the Bag program in the Twin Cities metro area. This amount equates to approximately 750,000 square feet of Trex Company, Inc. decking! That also means 4.5 millions pounds of plastic materials that haven't ended up in a landfill or incinerator!

For more on the It's in the Bag Program, click here.

It's in the Bag is managed by Minnesota Waste Wise, a subsidiary of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. Partner Organizations include Bylerly's, Cub Foods, Hennepin County, Kowlaski's Markets, Lunds, Merrick Inc., Minnesota Waste Wise, Supervalu, and Trex. Additional funding is provided by American Plastics Council, MN Grocers Assn, Pioneer Press, Target, Rethinkrecycling.com, MPCA, and Star Tribune.