I am an avid recycler, especially of flexible plastic. Recently, I encountered a disappointing situation with retail stores in the Lewes area.
Many grocery and other retail stores have in their lobbies the blue bins with the recycle logo on the front. For more than a year, I faithfully collected and put plastic bags and wrappers in those containers. In addition, with my volunteer service at New Life Thrift Store, I collected large plastic bags filled with smaller bags that had donations for the store. With the generous support of the store manager, Andrea Caswell, I have accumulated as many as six large bags a week, each filled with plastic bags, which I then deposited at various retail stores.
Recently, when I took some bags to the designated recycle bin at a big box home improvement store, an employee said that I could put the bags there, but they just toss them with their regular trash. They don’t recycle the bags. I was extremely frustrated. According to the BagandFilmRecycling.org, I learned that very few grocery stores continue to recycle flexible plastic. However, many more grocery and retail stores still offer collection bins without revealing their policy of discarding the plastic.
I realize that stores that do not distribute plastic bags do not need to offer recycling. However, my concern is the deception of retailers who offer the recycle bins in their lobbies, but simply dispose of flexible plastic with their trash. I hope retail stores will be more honest with their recycle displays by removing the blue recycle containers.
I also strongly encourage residents to save their flexible plastic bags and take them to stores that actually recycle them. Let’s all be avid recyclers and do our part to keep this plastic out of the landfill.
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