How do you recycle plastic wrapping and empty pellet bags?

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.
S

Stentor

Member
Apr 3, 2009
337
North of Boston, Mass
I know this is not the most important question in the world, but how do you recycle empty plastic bags and the plastic wrapping that goes a ton of pellets?

I use some of the bags for garbage but I would like to just get rid of other empty bags and the wrapping in an easy way. The local supermarkets stores take their own plastic bags for groceries and of course do not want hard plastic items. (Recycle company picks up paper, glass, plastic etc. every week.) I asked a couple of supermarket managers and they didn't know but guessed the bags count as stretchable plastic.
 
Very good question Stentor. I was putting mine in with the recycling material that gets picked up every other week until our local recycling center put out a notice asking folks not to do that since they were getting too many bags and it was gumming up their machines. So mine are going in with the regular garbage pickup now.
 
we take ours to the dump/transfer station.
they are happy to take them all in their recycle bin.
 
St_Earl said:
we take ours to the dump/transfer station.
they are happy to take them all in their recycle bin.
Click to expand...

Ditto, here in Southern Maine!
 
I try to reuse as many as I can, such as using them as trash bags(for dry rubbish), but otherwise they going in regular trash since my town don't recycle plastic bags. Hate not being able to recycle these bags.
 
  • Like
Reactions: rwreuter
Yup, mine have to go in the trash as well. Even though the bags qualify for recycling, my town transfer station will only take them as standard trash. They are making potato chip bags out of biodegradable material now, wonder how long before they do the same with the pellet bags. Then you can just bury them in the garden!
 
I reuse them in the kitchen trash can
saves from buying bags that are going to be thrown out.......
Hmmmmmm.............
just saying that made me think

we buy things that only purpose is to be thrown away
might as well throw away the money
boy, am I going to change my ways drastically
wonder how many others I can think of
 
Never had anyone tell me not to throw plastic bags in the regular recycling bin. I throw anything plastic into the recycling bin which includes any plastic bags. I'll keep recycling them this way until someone tells me the bags are not recyclable like any other plastic. Sometimes they get filled with plastic bottles, cans and any other recyclable materials and just place the full bag in the recycling can and they take it all.

I do it since plastic is plastic so what difference does it make, IDK.
 
ITBURNS(AKA pelletnubi) said:
Never had anyone tell me not to throw plastic bags in the regular recycling bin. I throw anything plastic into the recycling bin which includes any plastic bags. I'll keep recycling them this way until someone tells me the bags are not recyclable like any other plastic. Sometimes they get filled with plastic bottles, cans and any other recyclable materials and just place the full bag in the recycling can and they take it all.

I do it since plastic is plastic so what difference does it make, IDK.
Click to expand...

I depends upon the recycling facility as to what they can process, most towns/whatever will post a list of what can be recycled by them. Some can not handle any bags at all and others can take just about anything. YMWV, your mileage will vary.
 
Just stacking them in the garage for now...Hoping to find some use for them, but if not I will put them in the recycle bin.
 
Litter box liners and also good for throwing out items that
Would otherwise tear a normal trash bag.
 
Just don't use them for wet stuff as it will drip out all those little holes.

Remember no cleaning fish, birds, etc into the pellet bags, big messy follows.
 
SmokeyTheBear said:
Just don't use them for wet stuff as it will drip out all those little holes.

Remember no cleaning fish, birds, etc into the pellet bags, big messy follows.
Click to expand...

Sounds like the voice of experience right there!!
 
ITBURNS(AKA pelletnubi) said:
Never had anyone tell me not to throw plastic bags in the regular recycling bin. I throw anything plastic into the recycling bin which includes any plastic bags. I'll keep recycling them this way until someone tells me the bags are not recyclable like any other plastic. Sometimes they get filled with plastic bottles, cans and any other recyclable materials and just place the full bag in the recycling can and they take it all.

I do it since plastic is plastic so what difference does it make, IDK.
Click to expand...

I take my trash/recycable to a transfer station and they won't accept any plastic bags as recyclables. I have to bring my shopping bags to grocery stores that collects them.
 
Interesting question. At the rate cities around the Pacific Northwest are banning plastic bags, how long until they ban pellet bags? Are times changing? Will we have to go to some silo with garbage cans to get our pellets in the future?
 
Our local Walmart has a plastic recycling bin as you enter. I just save all the plastic bags, grocery, pellet, etc., put them in a plastic grocery bag, tie it up and drop it off. My Bear Mountain pellet bags are rated #4 for recycling, I assume all are.

Yes I shop at Walmart.
 
My Yellow Lab, Quinto, is resposoble for filling one per week about 1/3 full. ALong with the little mutt , Guido, i use one bag per week on them, one per week in the mud room can, keep a stash of them in the shed for assorted purposes, and in the fall the Mrs. uses them for garden waste, small bunches of branches, etc.
I honestly can't say that I ever "threw out" a used pellet bag,,,,, I'm on my third season burning, and have burnt about 3 1/2 tons till now..... thats 175 bags,,,,,, 3years is 156 weeks,,,, the math tells me that I must be getting an influx of bags from somewhere,,,,,,hmmmmmm

John
 
This has been a topic of discussion in my house.
We have the single stream recycling mentioned above which is nice because we don't have to sort or seperate the stuff. They take everything plastic #1 - #7 but their website says that plastic bags are not allowed.
The first ton I bought was Greene Gold and there isn't any recycle # on the bag, so I was tossing them in the trash. The Hamers I just bought have a recycle #4 on the bag so I've been putting those in the recycyle bin.
 
Murphy118 said:
My Yellow Lab, Quinto, is resposoble for filling one per week about 1/3 full. ALong with the little mutt , Guido, i use one bag per week on them, one per week in the mud room can, keep a stash of them in the shed for assorted purposes, and in the fall the Mrs. uses them for garden waste, small bunches of branches, etc.
I honestly can't say that I ever "threw out" a used pellet bag,,,,, I'm on my third season burning, and have burnt about 3 1/2 tons till now..... thats 175 bags,,,,,, 3years is 156 weeks,,,, the math tells me that I must be getting an influx of bags from somewhere,,,,,,hmmmmmm

John
Click to expand...
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Same here dog and cat crap.We fill up several bags per week that I haul to the dump.So we save every one we use for the summer.Shewee they get to stinking in the hot months....
 
The bags are not recyclable in my area so they go in the regular garbage. The large bag over the whole pallet goes to my uncle, he uses it for covering his firewood, I haven't converted him to pellets, YET.
 
My curbside recycle pickup has been taking them
all these years so until they tell me not to put
them in the bin I'll continue to do so.
 
New England Wood Pellet bags are supposedly the same material as plastic grocery bags - think I saw that on their website, maybe on the bags themselves. I have been taking 5 or 10 at a time to the local grocery store and stuffing them into the bag-recycling box. Local recycling center also has experimental bag-recycling bin so have been feeding that once in a while, too.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Clarkbug
Reusable Pellet Bags?
Replies
4
Views
2K
The Green Room
Clarkbug
Clarkbug
F
Midwest (OH, IL, IN, WI, MI, IA) TSC, NW Columbus OH, 161/Sawmill Rd - $4.79/bag @50+ (full pallet) Hardwood Pellets (not Soft Wood)
Replies
3
Views
2K
Wood Pellet Pricing Reports
Ryan McGomery
R
H
Enviro Empress FS Pellet Stove - Vacuum code resolution in step by step detail
Replies
1
Views
499
The Pellet Mill - Pellet and Multifuel Stoves
johneh
johneh
HeatMinder
Optimal pellets: Why does it have to be difficult for places like Texas? (Dallas Fort Worth area)
Replies
1
Views
2K
2023-2024 Pellet FUEL reviews-opinions-questions
bogieb
bogieb
J
Xtrordinair 44 Elite experience
Replies
0
Views
2K
Travis Industries: Lopi, Avalon, FPX
jnewman67
J
Top Bottom
Back