You pick up your freshly cleaned clothes from the dry cleaner and remove the thin plastic bag covering your garments. Like many plastic films around the house, it can be hard to know whether this packaging belongs in the trash or the recycling bin.
The good news: dry cleaning bags are often recyclable through plastic film recycling programs. Here’s how to recycle them properly.
Can You Recycle Dry Cleaning Bags?
Yes – but not in your standard curbside bin.
Most dry cleaning bags are made from polyethylene (PE), the same family of plastics commonly used for plastic shopping bags and other flexible films. While these materials are recyclable, they generally aren’t accepted in curbside recycling programs.
When placed in curbside recycling bins, films and bags can become tangled in sorting equipment, creating challenges for recycling facilities. Instead, dry cleaning bags should be recycled through designated film collection programs.
How Do You Recycle It?
- Store Drop-off: Many grocery stores (think Target, Walmart, Kroger, and even your local chain) have bins for plastic film recycling.
- Municipal Depot: Some municipalities have their own managed locations that residents can take their films to directly.
- Subscription Services: Some companies, like Ridwell, offer doorstep pickup or mail-in for plastic film.
- Specialty Curbside Recycling: Some communities do offer a specific curbside film recycling program, like Hefty ReNew™, allow consumers to fill designated receptacles and leave outside their home for pickup, like standard curbside recycling.
Find out what film recycling options are available for you, including your closest Store Drop-off using our Map Tool.
Prep Before You Drop
- Remove Non-Film Components: Take out any paper receipts, cardboard inserts, hang tags, staples, pins, or other attachments before recycling. These materials belong in other recycling streams or the trash.
- Keep It Clean and Dry: Dry cleaning bags are typically clean and dry by nature, but films accepted for recycling should be free from dirt, moisture, and other contaminants.
- Bundle Your Film: Collect dry cleaning bags with other recyclable household films, such as bread bags, produce bags, newspaper sleeves, and package overwrap. Recycling film in bulk makes collection and transportation more efficient.
What Happens to Recycled Dry Cleaning Bags?
When processed through film recycling programs, these flexible plastics are given a second life as useful products, including:
- Composite Decking & Lumber: Construction materials are one of the most common end markets for recycled films.
- Garbage Bags & Liners: Many trash bags and can liners are made with recycled film content.
- Product Overwrap: The clear plastic wrap you see around cases of water bottles, paper towels, or other bulk items often contains recycled film.
- Other Uses: Recycled film can also be used in playground equipment, park benches, and even new plastic bags.
Dry cleaning bag recycling takes a little extra effort, but it’s worth it. By removing any non-film materials and taking them to the proper collection location, you can help keep valuable plastic film in circulation and out of landfills.
