A staple in most workplaces, plastic waste bags offer an ideal opportunity for environmentally preferable purchasing. Whether for use in trash cans or recycling bins, high quality recycled-content plastic waste bags are widely available. Since plastic bags are made from non-renewable petrochemicals, purchasing bags made from recycled-content reduces demand for oil and promotes recycling. Workplaces can save money by instructing staff to replace bags only when they are too dirty or full for the work setting in which they are used.
Federal procurement guidelines recommend plastic trash bags contain 10% to 100% post-consumer plastic. State and local governments are encouraged to follow federal procurement guidelines.
Under Minnesota Statute 16B.121, state agencies are required to purchase recycled materials when feasible and when the price of the recycled product does not exceed the price of nonrecycled products by more than 10%.
EcoLogo's CCD-126: Plastic Film Products includes criteria for plastic garbage bags. Green Seal is in the process of developing a new environmental standard for plastic resin film bags (GS-45). Click here for up to date information on the process.
The availability of bags featuring recycled content is somewhat dependent on the type of bag. For bags ranging in capacity from 7 to 56 gallons and in thickness from 0.35 to 1.35 millimeters, products are widely available with up to 100% post-consumer recycled-content plastic. However, recycled content may be difficult to find in certain colors, sizes, and thicknesses. Moreover, specialty bags - such as food service, laboratory, and hospital waste bags - may have requirements that limit recycled content.
The prices of recycled-content and nonrecycled plastic waste bags are comparable. Utilize cooperative purchasing opportunities for best pricing. Overall costs may be reduced by replacing can liners only when they are dirty and not using a liner in containers intended for non-messy waste, such as paper recycling.
Consider including the following specifications for recycled content plastic waste bags:
- Bags must contain a minimum of 10% post-consumer recycled content.
- Bags must be nontoxic when incinerated or disposed in a landfill.
- Bags must not be manufactured or printed with inks, dyes, pigments, or stabilizers, or any other additives that contain lead, cadmium, mercury, or hexavalent chromium.
- All paperboard packaging must contain a minimum of 30% post-consumer recycled content.
Minnesota State Contract
The state maintains a contract with Apache Group for plastic waste bags. Although most of the bags on contract contain 10 - 15% recycled content, only some of these contain post-consumer recycled content. Bags listed in Group III of the contract contain 25 - 35% recycled content (minimum 20% post-consumer).
- B-298 (5) Bags: Polyethylene for Waste and Adopt-a-Highway Program
See Cooperative Purchasing Venture for information on accessing this contract.
U.S. Communities - Office Depot Contract
Plastic waste bags with recycled content are available through the U.S. Communities Office Depot contract. Bags contain 75% total recycled content (10% post-consumer) and are available in a variety of sizes.
Manufacturers
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maintains a list of manufacturers and suppliers of plastic waste bags containing recycled content through its Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines program. The following Minnesota companies manufacture recycled-content plastic waste bags; call the manufacturer for a list of distributors.
Covalence Plastics
Minneapolis, MN
781/372-2271
fax: 781/372-2290
http://www.covcorp.com/
Manufacturer of HDPE bags with 10 - 25% post-consumer recycled content.
Safco Products Company
New Hope, MN
612/536-6700
fax: 612/536-6777
Manufacturer of bags containing up to 100% post-consumer recycled content.
Strout Plastics
Bloomington, MN
612/881-8673
fax: 612/881-3031
Manufacturer of LDPE and LLPDE bags made with 10 - 25% post-consumer recycled content.
Recycled Plastics Product Directory
The American Chemistry Council, which represents companies engaged in the business of chemistry, including significant business groups such as the Plastics Division, maintains a web site containing information on recycled-content plastic products, including plastic bags and liners.
Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Guide published by the Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board, 4/00. The SWMCB includes members from the Minnesota metropolitan counties of Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, and Washington, with ex-officio members from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
Last Revised September 15, 2008 - 8:37am