question: Why aren't plastic bags recyclable?
comment: They can be recycled, jst not along with the other household recyclables. Because they are so thin, they catch and clog the machines used to sort recycled household materials. You can still recycle them by taking them back to the store (grocery stores here all have bag recycling bins)
passages: Most bags that are manufactured from plastic are made from corn-based materials, like polylactic acid blends. Biodegradable plastic bags are nowadays as strong and reliable as traditional (mostly polyethylene)-bags. Many bags are also made from paper, organic materials, or polycaprolactone.
   Section::::Environmental concerns.:Reduction, reuse and recycling.
  
  Plastic shopping bags are in most cases not accepted by standard curbside recycling programs; though their composition is often identical to other accepted plastics, they pose problems for the single-stream recycling process, as most of the sorting equipment is designed for rigid plastics such as bottles, so plastic bags often end up clogging wheels or belts, or being confused as paper and contaminating the pulp produced later in the stream. Plastic bags are 100% recyclable. They need to be taken to a location that recycles plastic film, usually a grocery store or major retail chain.
   Many countries are introducing legislation to phase-out lightweight plastic bags, because the biodegradability of plastic bags can last 10 to 20 years in the marine environment, or more than 500 years in the environment on the ground, causing pollution of plastics and environmental impacts. Every year, about 1 to 5 trillion plastic bags are used and discarded around the world.
  
  Section::::Packages.
   Some large store chains have banned plastic shopping bags such as Whole Foods in the U.S. and IKEA in the U.S. and the U.K.
  
  Heavy-duty plastic shopping bags are suitable for reuse as reusable shopping bags. Lighter weight bags are often reused as trash bags or to pick up pet feces. All types of plastic shopping bag can be recycled into new bags where effective collection schemes exist.
   In India, government has banned use of plastic bags below 50 microns. In 2018, Montreal, Canada, also banned plastic bags with Ottawa expected to also put the ban into effect.
  
  Section::::Plastic shopping bags.:Plastic bags and the environment.
  
  Non-compostable plastic bags can take up to 1000 years to decompose. Plastic bags are not capable of biodegradation but rather they photodegrade, a process by which the plastic bags are broken down into smaller toxic parts. In the 2000s, many stores and companies began to use different types of biodegradable bags to comply with perceived environmental benefits.
   In-plant scrap can often be recycled but post-consumer sorting and recycling is difficult. Bio-based polymers will contaminate the recycling of other more common polymers. While oxo-biodegradable plastic manufacturers claim that their bags are recyclable, many plastic film recyclers will not accept them, as there have been no long-term studies on the viability of recycled-content products with these additives. Further, the Biodegradable Plastics Institute (BPI) says that the formulation of additives in oxo films varies greatly, which introduces even more variability in the recycling process. SPI Resin identification code 7 is applicable.
  
  Section::::Marketing qualification and legal issues.
   Section::::Lifecycle impact.
  
  PPAs, as any thermoplastic, are theoretically fully recyclable by remelting, and as a condensation polymer by depolymerization. Commercial recycling requires the cost of logistics and cleaning and processing to be lower than the cost of virgin polymer, which is not always the case. The PPA waste that produces energy can be recovered at incineration plants. The best recovery options depend on many conditions such as local legislation, plastic part design, access to sorting facilities, and recycling costs.
  
  Section::::Commercial suppliers.
  
  BULLET::::- Arkema under the brand Rilsan HT.
  
  BULLET::::- BASF under the brand Ultramid T with 6T/6 copolymer.
   Some modern bags are made of vegetable-based bioplastics, which can decay organically and prevent a build-up of toxic plastic bags in landfills and the natural environment. Bags can also be made from degradable polyethylene film or from polylactic acid (PLA), a biodegradable polymer derived from lactic acid. However, most degradable bags do not readily decompose in a sealed landfill, and represent a possible contaminant to plastic recycling operations. In general, biodegradable plastic bags need to be kept separate from conventional plastic recycling systems.
  
  Section::::Biodegradable plastic carrier bags and manufacture.
   Section::::Issues.
  
  Plastic bags cause many minor and major ecological and environmental issues. The most general issue with plastic bags is the amount of waste produced. Many plastic bags end up on streets and subsequently pollute major water sources, rivers, and streams.
  
  Even when disposed of properly, they take many years to decompose and break down, generating large amounts of garbage over long periods of time. Improperly discarded bags have polluted waterways, clogged sewers and been found in oceans, affecting the habitat of marine creatures.
   According to the UK's Environment Agency, 76% of British carrier bags are reused. A survey by the American Plastics Counsel found that 90% of Americans answer yes to the question "Do you or does anyone in your household ever reuse plastic shopping bags?"
  
  UK Environment Agency published a review of supermarket carrier bags and compares energy usage of current styles of bag.
  
  Section::::Environmental concerns.:Bag legislation.
   Plastic bags usually use less material than comparable to boxes, cartons, or jars, thus are often considered as "reduced or minimized packaging".
  
  Depending on the construction, plastic bags can be suited for plastic recycling. They can be incinerated in appropriate facilities for waste-to-energy conversion. They are stable and benign in sanitary landfills. If disposed of improperly, however, plastic bags can create unsightly litter and harm some types of wildlife.
   Some governments have encouraged or required the use of reusable shopping bags through the regulation of plastic bags with bans, recycling mandates, taxes or fees. The legislation to discourage plastic bag use has been passed in parts of Hong Kong, Ireland, South Africa, the United States, Canada, and Taiwan.
   By the mid-1900s, the expansion of recycling infrastructure in the United States yielded a 7% annual rate of plastic bag recycling. This corresponded to more than of bags and plastic film being recycled in 2007 alone. Each ton of recycled plastic bags saves the energy equivalent of 11 barrels of oil, although most bags are produced from natural-gas-derived stock. In light of a 2002 Australian study showing that more than 60% of bags are reused as bin liners and for other purposes, the 7% recycling rate accounts for 17.5% of the plastic bags available for recycling.
   Reusable plastic bags do however have a very simple end of life disposal route. Most reusable plastic carrier bags are made from LDPE 4 (Low Density Poly-Ethylene) which is the easiest form of plastic to recycle currently in the UK (August 2018). These types of plastic carrier bag (along with 'single use' plastic carrier bags) can be recycled with many local council kerbside collections in the UK.
   Plastic bags don't do well in the environment, but several government studies have found them to be an environmentally friendly carryout bag option. According to the Recyc-Quebec, a Canadian recycling agency, "The conventional plastic bag has several environmental and economic advantages. Thin and light, its production requires little material and energy. It also avoids the production and purchase of garbage/bin liner bags since it benefits from a high reuse rate when reused for this purpose (77.7%)." Government studies from Denmark and the United Kingdom, as well as a study from Clemson University, came to similar conclusions.
   Plastic bags don't do well in the environment, but several government studies have found them to be an environmentally friendly carryout bag option. According to the Recyc-Quebec, a Canadian government agency, "The conventional plastic bag has several environmental and economic advantages. Thin and light, its production requires little material and energy. It also avoids the production and purchase of garbage/bin liner bags since it benefits from a high reuse rate when reused for this purpose (77.7%)." Government studies from Denmark and the United Kingdom, as well as a study from Clemson University, came to similar conclusions.
   Since many of these plastics require access to sunlight, oxygen, or lengthy periods of time to achieve degradation or biodegradation, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims, commonly called the "green guide,"
  
  require proper marking of these products to show their performance limits.
  
  The Federal Trade Commission provides an example:
   This is similar to the breakdown of woody plant material where lignin is broken down and forms a humus component improving the soil quality. 
  
  There is however a lot of controversy about these types of bags. The complete biodegradation is disputed and claimed not to take place. Many countries are now also thinking to ban this type of bags altogether
  
  Section::::Additive based.:Enhancing hydrophilicity of the polymer.
   BULLET::::- They are certified non-toxic, and safe for food-contact
  
  BULLET::::- Some bags degrade at about the same rate as a leaf. In fact, when used as bin liners, bags can start degrading after three or four days of being in the bin.
  
  Section::::Additive based.:Enhancing hydrophilicity of the polymer.:Pros & cons of additive based film/bag.:Cons.
  
  BULLET::::- Degradation depends on access to air
  
  BULLET::::- Not designed to degrade in landfill, but can be safely landfilled. Will degrade if oxygen is present, but will NOT emit methane in landfill
   Section::::Plastic shopping bags.:International usage.
  
  The number of plastic bags used and discarded worldwide has been estimated to be on the order of 1 trillion annually. The use of plastic bags differs dramatically across countries. While the average consumer in China uses only 2 or 3 plastic bags a year, the numbers are much higher in most other countries: Denmark: 4, Ireland: 20, Germany: 65, USA:  300, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia: more than 400.
   Individuals can also engage in advocacy with local officials and local merchants. With the rise in eco-tourism and green travel, there are many opportunities to say no to plastic.
  
  Section::::Impact.
   First introduced in the US in 1977, plastic shopping bags for bagging groceries at stores flourished in the 1980s and 1990s, replacing paper bags. In 1990s, governments in some countries started to impose taxes on distribution of disposable plastic bags or to regulate the use of them. Some supermarkets have encouraged shoppers to stop using disposable plastic bags, by for example offering inexpensive reusable shopping bags or providing information on plastic bags environmental damage. The physical shape of reusable shopping bags is often different than was typical before the prevalence of plastic bags. The apparel industry promotes reusable shopping bags as sustainable fashion.
   A large number of cities and counties have banned the use of plastic bags by grocery stores or introduced a minimum charge. In September 2014, California became the first state to pass a law banning their use. Local manufacturers of plastic bags, under the legislation, would receive financial support to assist them make more durable multi-use bags, that would be sold by grocery stores rather than given away, as were the plastic bags.
   According to Sharma, Moser, Vermillion, Doll, and Rajagopalan (2014), they have noted that in the year 2009 only 13% of one trillion single-use plastic bags produced were recycled, the rest were thrown away, which means they end up in landfills and because they are so lightweight end up in the atmosphere blown into the environment. The number of plastic grocery bags disposed of in the U.S. apart from the rest of the world is a number that is difficult to comprehend, this is why it is important that solutions are considered, weighed and measured to address this growing problem. Phasing out plastic bags is a viable option, however, there are many that argue that this puts a strain on businesses and makes it more difficult for the customer to take goods home. There are alternatives such as purchasing cloth grocery bags so that those who don’t agree with using plastic reusable bags can still have a bag that can be used many times over; however, government studies have found that cloth bags have a high carbon footprint. Many states have used legislation to stop the banning of plastic bags.
   Plastic bags are hard to recycle, as there is no system implemented to successfully deal with their disposal. It is expensive to effectively recycle the type of plastics used in single-use plastic bags, as these bags can clog recycling system equipment. It is up to local governments and recycling companies to decide whether the practice of recycling single-use plastic bags is allowed. 
  
presuppositions: Plastic bags can't be recycled. Plastic bags cannot be recycled.
corrections: Plastic bags can be recycled by reusing them in the home or taking them back to the store. Plastic bags can be recycled but are recycled through a different process from household recyclables.
raw_presuppositions: Plastic bags can't be recycled. Plastic bags cannot be recycled.
raw_corrections: Plastic bags can be recycled by reusing them in the home or taking them back to the store. Plastic bags can be recycled but are recycled through a different process from household recyclables.