Environmental experts and chemical engineers are urging consumers to use designated retail drop-off locations for soft plastic disposal instead of household curbside bins.
Stalled international treaty negotiations have hampered efforts to set global plastic production limits.
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According to the Environmental Protection Agency, more than 3 million tons (2.7 metric tons) of plastic bags, sacks, and wraps were sent to landfills in the United States in 2018.
When soft plastics enter residential recycling infrastructure, they cause significant operational disruptions by tangling in machinery.
“Once they get shredded or even before, a lot of times they just clog recycling equipment,” said Erha Andini, a Delaware-based chemical engineering expert and science communicator.
Andini explained that food packaging like meat wrap can consist of five or more layers of film, making the material highly complex.
Placing such films into general recycling bins, a practice known as wishcycling, hinders the processing of other recyclable materials.
“It's a problem of volume,” said Gary Dusek, founder of Precious Plastic NYC. “So literally the tiniest thing definitely moves the needle.”
The organization melts collected plastics by appointment to manufacture functional items such as clipboards and clothes hangers, while other local groups repurpose items like bubble wrap for artistic projects.
“All we're really trying to do is take this stuff out of the environment, and put it into something where we know what it is,” said Dusek.
Private manufacturers also absorb these materials into secondary production lines.
Stephanie Hicks, the materials and recycling manager for outdoor decking manufacturer Trex, noted that the organization provides an online zip code locator to help individuals find nearby retail drop-off points.
Plastic wrap remains an important component for maintaining food safety and extending product shelf life, according to plastics engineering expert Meg Sobkowicz with the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
“Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good,” said Sobkowicz, advising consumers that small swaps and utilizing alternative disposal options are preferable to inaction.
Local Policy Challenges
Local policy initiatives also face municipal enforcement challenges.
In Haines Borough, Alaska, the local assembly voted against tightening an existing plastic shopping bag ban last week despite public pressure, keeping existing commercial distribution rules intact.
“I was oil, sleeping deep into the ground, until I was pumped…” said Haines Friends of Recycling board chair Melissa Aronson.
Aronson read the poem during the public testimony session to highlight the lifecycle of synthetic waste products.
“I moved down the pipeline to a refinery, where I was made into plastic, molded into a plastic bag.”
The poetic presentation aimed to showcase how soft plastics degrade into microplastics within oceanic food chains.
“Mistaken for being a jellyfish and eaten by an octopus, once again I was pooped out, now broken into microplastics where I was ingested by fish, and then humans,” said Aronson.
University of Alaska Fairbanks environmental science student Camelia Bell advocated for stricter local enforcement measures during the meeting.
“I have a lot to say but I don't really have the words to say them.
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But I'm from here in Haines, I'm part of that sixth grade class…” said Bell.
Bell noted that her elementary class initially proposed the ban, emphasizing that the issue impacts long-term environmental sustainability.
“This is not just what do we carry our groceries in, but also a larger thing.”
Supporters of the stricter measure argued that municipal policy should prioritize the environmental interests of younger generations.
“But the environment we live in cannot sustain a life with plastic,” said Bell.
“We cannot change everything about climate change and pollution, but I know tonight we have the opportunity to do something about it.”
Local business owners opposed the strict mandate, citing consumer independence and the higher operating costs of alternative paper packaging.
“I guess maybe it's just the culture I've been around, but people in small towns find a way to reuse things instead of immediately throwing them away,” said local business owner Taylor Ashton.
Grocery store operators argued that the existing ban language penalizes responsible citizens who regularly reuse the bags.
“Are we really going to punish the responsible majority for the carelessness of a few?” said Doug Olerud, part-owner of Olerud's grocery store.
Olerud stated that paper bags cost four times more than plastic alternatives and emphasized personal responsibility in local environmental care.
“Personal responsibility was drilled into me by my parents, teachers and scout leaders, to leave every place better than you found it,” said Olerud.
“Most people do exactly that.”
Assembly members remained split on the measure, with some framing the stricter ban as government overreach that impacts older residents.
“As people age and their abilities become more and more limited, honor, honor them.
Preserve the dignity of allowing them to carry out groceries in a bag with handles,” said Assembly member Cheryl Stickler.
Other representatives pushed back, stating that the local government should support youth-led sustainability initiatives.
“I'm in favor of this just because of what Ms. Bell said.
I'm tired of selling this planet to old people, when we got a young generation that wants to save this place, and we're gonna tell them no?
No, I'm going to give her a yes,” said Assembly member Craig Loomis.
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Following the assembly vote against the proposal, Haines Borough will maintain its current system where individual retailers decide whether to provide paper or plastic checkout bags.
