From the mall to the grocery store, there is no escaping plastic bags.
But since recycling centers can't take them, and landfills really don't want them, the best way to get rid of plastic bags is to take them back where you got them.
"Every grocery store throughout the state of Arizona should have some type of a plastic bag bin,' said Tim McCabe with the Arizona Food Marketing Alliance.
The group represents grocery stores across the state, and in 2007, set up recycle bins called Bag Central Station to accept all kinds of unwanted plastic bags.
Most are set up near the front of the stores but McCabe says around 40 percent of people don't know what to do with them. Even more, may not realize all the other types of bags are accepted in those bins.
"Thin plastic can be recycled as well," McCabe said.
That includes materials like dry cleaning wraps, freezer storage bags, toilet paper wrapping, and produce bags.
McCabe said the stores send the bags to companies that turn them into decks, park benches, and feeders. They also go to distribution centers where they are recycled into new plastic bags he says.
And the cycle begins again.
The most important part here is to actually remember to bring the bags. You can cut down on using plastic bags altogether by keeping reusable bags in your car.
Some Valley cities like Phoenix and Mesa have low-cost ways to recycle other things you've been meaning to dispose of. Here are some links to that information:
City of Phoenix
What to recycle
Recycling the big stuff
City of Mesa
What to recycle
Recycling the big stuff
