Plastic Bag Recycling Spiked In 2006

U.S. plastic bag and film recycling reached a record high of 812 million lb in 2006, a 24% increase over 2005, according to a new report commissioned by the American Chemistry Council. ACC attributes the sharp climb in recycling of grocery bags and other film products to increased concern about the environmental impact of plastic waste and increased demand for recycled plastic. Trex, a firm that manufactures deck-wood substitutes from plastic, sawdust, and wood scrap, is the largest bag recycler in the U.S., consuming 1.5 billion grocery bags per year. "We have recycled over 2.5 billion lb of plastic over the last 10 years," says Dave Heglas, Trex's director of material resources.