What can you do with all those shopping bags, packing peanuts, bottle tops, and other plastics you can’t recycle? Donate them. There are plenty of organizations that can and do reuse these plastics.
4 plastics you can donate
- Take plastic shopping bags to your local animal shelter. They’ll be put to good use when walking the dogs.
- Take bubble wrap and packing peanuts to packaging and shipping stores. So long as they are clean, the store can often reuse them.
- After a home remodel, donate old or leftover piping, flooring, siding, and other PVC plastics that are in good condition to non-profits that build homes for the disadvantaged.
- Schools sometimes accept certain plastics such as bottle tops and container lids for arts and craft projects.
Good to know
Big box stores, supermarkets, office supply chains, hardware stores, and local businesses often act as drop-off centers for plastics and other materials that municipalities may not accept. Keep an eye out for these collection centers as you do your regular shopping, so you know where to go when you need one.