Can I recycle ... Ziploc bags?
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Ziploc bags, and other brands of sealable plastic food storage bags, are not marked with a recycling symbol but they are recyclable in L.A.’s blue bin as long as they are clean and dry.
And they can be washed and reused until they break –- and then washed and thrown into the recycling bin. Although there are dozens of types of Ziploc bags, most are made from a mix of low-density and linear-low-density polyethylene, a.k.a. LDPE plastic No. 4 -– the same type of plastics used for bread and grocery bags. Clean and dry Ziploc bags can also be recycled at grocery stores that have plastic bag recycling bins.
Because policies and recommendations can vary from city to city, each week we ask a sampling of officials from various municipalities to weigh in. Can I recycle Ziploc bags in …
Arcadia: Yes
Culver City: No
Glendale: Yes
Long Beach: Yes
Riverside: Yes
Santa Monica: No
Torrance: No
-- Susan Carpenter
Each week we explain the recycling potential for an item that might be confusing. Here are some previous Can I Recycle columns: