You can recycle plastic bags at many participating retail stores, especially grocery stores and large retailers like Kroger, Safeway, Target, Walmart, and Home Depot, which often have dedicated collection bins near their entrances for plastic bag recycling

. These bins accept a variety of clean and dry polyethylene-based plastic films, including grocery bags, bread bags, produce bags, dry cleaning bags, cereal liners, bubble wrap, and plastic shipping envelopes

. Most curbside recycling programs do not accept plastic bags because they can jam recycling machinery and contaminate loads, so dropping them off at these store collection points is the best option

. You can check for nearby recycling points or participating stores using online recycling locators provided by services like Recycle Now or Earth911 by entering your ZIP code or postcode

. Before recycling, make sure the bags and films are clean, dry, and free from food residue, stickers, labels, and receipts to avoid contamination

. Biodegradable or compostable bags should not be recycled with plastic bags but instead composted if possible

. In summary, to recycle plastic bags:

• Take clean, dry plastic bags and films to store drop-off bins at major grocery stores or retailers.
• Use online recycling locators to find nearby collection points.
• Do not put plastic bags in curbside recycling bins unless your local program explicitly accepts them.

This method ensures plastic bags are properly collected and recycled into new products like synthetic lumber or new plastic films