PLASTIC GROCERY BAGS ARE NOT YOUR FRIEND.
We get calls on grocery bags all of the time. Usually, a sweet older lady will tell us that she's been saving her sacks for several years and now it is time to recycle them all. We sigh.
Here's the deal: The grade of plastic that composes these grocery sacks is so poor that recyclers have a hard time doing anything with them. We do NOT accept them in our recycling bins located throughout the county. (A reminder: Paper grocery sacks are always welcome in our recycling bins and programs.)
Right now, your only method of recycling these plastic annoyances is to take them to Kroger and Wal-Mart. They will take back their old plastic bags as well as #2 bags from just about anywhere.
Kroger
7747 Mall Road
Florence, KY 41042
859-525-6223
Kroger
9950 Berberich Drive
Florence, KY 41042
859-372-3460
Kroger
8825 US Highway 42
Union, KY 41091
859-384-7930
Kroger
1751 Patrick Drive
Burlington, KY 41005
859-586-5727
Wal-Mart
4999 Houston Road
Florence, KY 41042
859-282-8333
BUT.
Think about the 100 billion of these things annually consumed in the U.S. They're made from oil, a precious commodity by anyone's standards. If you're interested in making a big change, you'd be best advised to reduce your use of these wastes of natural resources.
We at Solid Waste have tote bags in our cars that we grab when we run into the store. No, we don't always remember to bring them in with us. No, it doesn't always hold everything we've bought. But it is a good way to cut back a little on the plastic bag pandemic and it looks cooler than dragging around a half dozen flimsy sacks.
For large schlepping excursions, try a cardboard box. It's easier to carry and you can recycle it afterwards. Lovely.
Of course, there are an infinite number of ways to reuse plastic bags. We oft hear of them used to aid in the removal of cat litter (a surprisingly common reuse for them) but you can CLICK to find a list of reuse ideas that will impress you with its variety.
AN INTERESTING DIGRESSION
Did you know that some people actually crochet with these things? It's true. They cut the bags crossways into loops, pull the loops through each other to make a kind of plastic yarn and then crochet that into bags or rugs or what have you. It's crazy.
This is a tote made out of crocheted plastic grocery sacks by Boone Countian Laurie Haltermon. It’s pretty much amazing. Click to see a larger image.
Do you do anything fun with your trash? Email Boone County Solid Waste: kchapman@boonecountyky.org.
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*Source: The Wall Street Journal
