Let’s Talk About Film Plastic

I have dedicated a significant amount of time and energy to reducing the amount of single-use plastics in my life over the past few years. I no longer buy produce wrapped in plastic; I opt to buy them “naked” instead. I no longer use single-use plastic cups for my daily iced teas; I use glass jars or my reusable Starbucks cup instead. I even shop for pantry items in bulk to reduce my general plastic use. That being said, part of embracing my “progress, not perfection” low-waste lifestyle means coming to terms with the fact that it’s almost impossible to live a completely plastic-free life.

I’m still working on reducing the amount of plastic I use and am always looking for bulk, reusable or package-free alternatives to plastic-packaged items, but in the meantime I’m doing all that I can to ensure the plastic that I do use is recycled responsibly.

Recycling is not the answer. The three R’s are meant to be followed in order: Reduce, Reuse, then Recycle. But while you work on reducing your plastic, learning how to properly recycle is important.

There are seven kinds of plastic, but there is one kind of plastic that I’ve had the most difficult time cutting out of my life: film plastic. Also known as Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) or plastic type 4, film plastic is a thin plastic often used for bags and packaging. Film plastic is what loaves of bread are packaged in. When you buy clothes online there’s a good chance each item will come individually wrapped in a film plastic “poly bag“. Those air bubble packets that come in nearly every Amazon package? You guessed it – film plastic.

Over the past two years I’ve collected every piece of film plastic I’ve used. I’ve pulled quite a few of my roommates’ film plastic bags out of the trash/recycling and have even collected film plastic at events to bring home and add to my stash. In the photo from the beginning of this post I am holding all of the film plastic collected from my four-person apartment over a six month period. Just six months.

In my hometown in New York you can recycle plastics with the numbers 1 through 7 in the middle of the recycle symbol, but there is a long list of exceptions to that list. Film plastic is one of them. Los Angeles can recycle plastics 1 through 7 as well, and even though the city says they accept film plastics, they are incredibly difficult to recycle in a single-stream recycling system. Since film plastic is so thin, it easily clogs recycling sorting machines, making recycling even more complicated than it already is.

It’s no surprise that film plastic has an exceptionally low recycling rate: the EPA estimates that only 5.7% of LDPE is recycled. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to recycle. Here’s what I do:

First, I collect it. I ensure all of my film plastic packages are clean (no crumbs from bread or stickers from online purchases) and are dry. If there are air bubbles I pop them.

Once I accumulate a big enough pile – like the collection I’m holding in my arms in that photo – I bring the film plastic to be recycled. My local Target by USC has a film plastic recycling bin (and a compost bin), so recycling film plastic at school could not be easier for me. It may take some time to find a place near you that accepts film plastic, but here are some places to look:

• Check local chain stores. Many Targets in Los Angeles have recycling bins for film plastics, maybe a Target near you has one as well. In New York, my local CVS has a film plastic and plastic bag recycling collection bin by the door.
• Check recycling drop off locations. My hometown in New York also has a recycling drop-off center where we bring our food waste and other specific recyclables. They don’t have a specific collection for film plastic, but your local recycling facility might.
• Check your school or office. Sometimes office buildings and universities have special recycling systems. See if your school/office recycles film plastic.

Do the best you can to reduce your plastic use – especially your film plastic use – but remember the goal: progress, not perfection. Slowly reducing your plastic use and learning how to properly recycle the plastic you do use will absolutely have a positive impact.

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