Can ziplock bags be recycled?

Ziplock bags can be recycled

Ziplock plastic bags are made of PE material, and PE (polyethylene) is divided into:

LDPE (low-density polyethylene):

Many plastic ziplock bags and plastic wrap are made of this material.

HDPE (high-density polyethylene):

Such as milk bottles, detergent bottles, etc.

PE is a recyclable plastic, but PE ziplock poly bags are very thin and light, and not easy to recycle separately. Many recycling stations do not accept soft plastics (such as plastic bags and films) because they are easy to wrap around equipment. If there are stains or food residues on the bags, they are not easy to be recycled.

What is the recycling mark on the ziplock bag?

The recycling mark (usually a triangle arrow encircling a number) on the ziplock sandwich bags is to identify the material type of the plastic, also called the “resin identification code”. It does not necessarily mean that the bag will be recycled, but it tells you that it can be recycled under certain conditions.

So why is the recycling mark still marked?

There are two main reasons: marking the material for easy classification (such as industrial recycling or recycling stations capable of processing PE), promoting environmental awareness, and encouraging users to put them in designated recycling channels.

Summary

Most ziplock quart bag are made of LDPE (low-density polyethylene), which can be recycled in theory, but it is difficult to recycle. It is recommended that if there is a channel dedicated to recycling soft plastics, you can put them in, otherwise try to reduce their use or reuse them.