Lexington County wants you to know all plastics are not the same when recycling

Lexington, SC – Did you know that all plastics used around your home are not the same? Lexington County knows and they are trying to help you separate your plastics correctly so they’ll be easier and less expensive to recycle.

Residents should not place plastic bags and other stretchy plastic film and wrap, in their curbside recycling containers. These are the bags used to take items from stores like Best Buy, Food Lion, Lowes Foods and the Lowe’s home improvement store, Publix, Target, and Wal-Mart, and most other retail businesses. These are some of the items that DO NOT go into the curbside recycling roll carts. Plastic film that tears easily or that crinkles should simply be discarded.

Plastic bags and other stretchy plastic film and wraps like bread bags, produce bags, sandwich bags, ice bags, dry cleaning bags, bubble wrap, air bags, and wrap from a case of water bottles or paper towels is recycled by companies such as Trex. They process these plastics into composite decking material, park benches and more.

You should never place plastic bags, either full or empty, or any type of plastic film or wrap in your curbside recycling bins. They also do not belong in containers with other recyclables at Lexington County’s Collection and Recycling Centers. They prevent sorting equipment from identifying the contents and they get stuck in the machine during the sorting process. Plastic bags, film and wrap in mixed recyclables slow down the process, endanger employees, and make recycling more expensive.

You can help do the right thing for the environment by sorting your plastics correctly before taking them to the county or having them collected curbside. For additional information about recycling, go to www.lex-co.sc.gov/solidwaste or contact Lexington County Solid Waste Management at (803) 755-3325.