Regular visitors to the center may have noticed some of the shelving in the center have been rearranged and a second baler has been installed. This new baler will be used for plastic bags and wrap. The baled material will be shipped to Trex to become composite lumber.
Westmoreland Cleanways will accept only CLEAN, DRY plastic bags and wrap, free of receipts, food, and organic residue. Click the link provided for a printer friendly flier, Bags and Wrap Recycling
ACCEPTABLE Material includes:
- Produce Bags
- Store Bags
- Ice Bags
- Ziploc and other reclose-able bags
- Cereal box liners
- Case overwrap (such as from a case of bottled water, paper towels, toilet tissue)
- Bread Bags
- Newspaper Sleeves
- Dry cleaning bags
- Bubble wrap
- Plastic e-commerce mailers
- Shrink wrap/stretch film
Do No Include:
Frozen food bags, candy wrappers, chip bags, net or mesh bags, mulch or soil bags, degradable/compostable bags/film, pre-washed salad mix bags, pet food bags, hot dog or meat wrap packaging, six-pack rings, PPE gloves, masks or protective wear, pool covers, lamination film, silage and hay bags, vinyl shower curtains or table cloths, bedding or linen packaging, shiny, crinkly film like floral wrap or backyard ice rinks.
Earn a Park Bench for your Community
If you are part of a community group, consider taking part in the NexTrex Challenge. Collect 1,000 lbs. of plastic bags and film within a 12 month period to earn a park bench. If participating in the program, please collect the plastics bags in clear garbage bags. Please call the office to schedule your drop offs, especially if the the material needs to be weighted.
We are excited each and every time a new material is added to the Westmoreland Cleanways lineup, but plastic bags and wrap especially so. Like all plastics made from fossil fuels, plastic bags and plastic wrap don’t biodegrade either in a landfill or as litter. Instead they break down and become microplastics which have been detected in marine organisms from plankton to whales, birds, terrestrial animals, in drinking water and even in the human body. We do encourage residents to reduce and reuse, as those are better behaviors for the environment. However, in our throwaway society that is not always easy to do. Recycling plastic bags and wrap is a MUCH better alternative than landfilling the items or allowing the plastic to become litter.
