Plastic film is everywhere — wrapping our goods, protecting our shipments, and showing up in nearly every corner of modern packaging.

It’s lightweight, durable, and cost-effective — but when it comes to recycling, it can quickly become one of the most misunderstood materials in packaging design.

If you’ve ever felt lost trying to understand what’s recyclable, how legislation impacts your labeling, or how to responsibly communicate your film packaging’s end-of-life options — you’re not alone.

This guide will help you navigate the complex landscape of plastic film recycling so your brand can stay compliant, sustainable, and transparent.

Table of Contents

• Can Plastic Film Be Recycled?
• Once Collected, is it Actually Recycled?
• Which Plastic Films Can Be Recycled?
• Which Plastic Films Cannot Be Recycled?
• Common Plastic Film Reycling Contaminants
• Do Shipping and Product Labels Need to Be Removed?
• How Does Legislation Affect Plastic Film Recycling?
• EcoEnclose’s Plastic Film Take-Back Program
• Organizations in the Plastic Film Recycling Space
• Next Steps for Your Brand

Yes. But for most people, it’s not as easy as dropping it into their curbside bins.

Plastic film is not curbside recyclable in most municipalities.

Most curbside recycling programs do not accept plastic bags, film, or wraps.

Some consumers may put plastic films in their recycling collection bins anyway, often because they don’t realize these materials create a major problem for recycling centers.

Film clogs recycling equipment, forcing facilities to halt production while workers cut tangled bags from machinery. This is a dangerous and costly interruption. Some cities lose up to $1,000 a day in downtime, and in Phoenix, plastic bags cost the recycling system more than $1 million each year in lost time and productivity.

Thin film recycling bin at Walmart.

PE plastic film is typically recycled at store drop-off programs.

Have you ever seen a collection bin for grocery bags as you left the store? If so, you’ve just seen plastic film recycling at work.

For over twenty years, store drop-off programs have been the primary means of recovering clean and dry bags, film, and wrap.

Consumers drop their plastic film into bins at the front of retail stores. Retailers then consolidate the material with other “back of house” films, like pallet wrap. This is then sold to reclaiming operations, which are largely companies making products like composite lumber, bags and film, containers, crates, and pallets.

To find a recycling center near you, check out Earth911's Recycling Search.

Yes. Right now, it’s downcycled chiefly into durable goods. Technology to sort and reprocess it is advancing, so over time, more material will be recycled back into plastic packaging.

EcoEnclose supports efforts to make plastic film curbside recyclable long-term.

Last year, the Materials Recovery for the Future (MRFF) released a report on a two-year pilot curbside recycling program for flexible plastic packaging (FPP) run by J.P. Mascaro & Sons in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania. The report’s primary finding concludes that curbside recycling of FPP is practical and economically feasible.

The TotalRecycle MRF pilot diverted more than 2.7 million pounds of flexible plastic packaging from landfills through curbside collection and converted the material into roof cover board to replace gypsum drywall. Encouraging early trials also showed promise in reprocessing rFlex back into blown film, a step toward circular reuse.

It's important to note that the MRFF project is funded by the American Chemistry Council, an organization with a vested interest in demonstrating success. Even so, the results point to real progress. With continued innovation and investment, curbside recycling for plastic films could become viable nationwide within the next five to ten years, opening new pathways for materials that cannot be sorted by most municipal facilities today.

Source: Unsplash

Source: Unsplash

The following types of plastic films and packaging are generally not recyclable with PE plastic film and should not be placed in plastic film collection bins.

• Plastic that tears like paper. Also known as polypropylene.

• Stiff thick plastics such as plastic-based linen covers. Generally made from PVC.

• Standup pouches and metalized bags like chip bags. Multi-layers of plastic and foil laminated together.

• Saran wrap. PVDC.

• Cellophane. Compostable, but generally landfilled.

• High residue bags. Eeven if it’s made from PE, oily items like pet food leave a residue that means the material will never be clean or dry enough to recycle.

• Plastic that makes a crinkly sound.

• Packaging with a paper layer such as a paper/poly blend bubble mailing envelope.

• Boat wrap. These contain multiple materials, including vinyl.

• Biodegradable or compostable packaging. These are a completely different type of material and could contaminate an entire load of viable recyclable material.

Some materials, like metalized or layered films, may be recyclable through programs like TerraCycle or G2 Revolution.

Source: Unsplash

When you’re considering adding a material to the bin, watch out for these common contaminants that often find themselves mixed into batches of film.

• Moisture
• Hard plastics (recycled through a different system)
• Cardboard
• Strapping
• Twine
• Tape
• Rubber bands
• PCDV (Saran) films
• PVC materials
• Meat wrap
• Oil or grease
• Metal
• Trash
• Loose paper
• Cheese wrappers
• Pet food bags
• Polypropylene (#5) films and bags
• Multi-material or non-polyethylene items
• Any items with food residue

If these get into a batch of recyclable materials, they can cause delays or cause a whole batch of materials to be thrown out.

This is becoming a more common consideration, and is relevant for:

In general, no, they don’t need to be removed.

The reclaimers most frequently purchasing and remanufacturing plastic film packaging are fine with labels, including paper labels. Therefore, it is generally true that plastic film with labels and stickers will be recycled and successfully manufactured into composite lumber.

As the market shifts to push more packaging to be converted back into packaging, labels have to be scrutinized further. When manufacturing PE film back into a PE product, labels made with paper and other non-PE materials can create too much contamination, making the extruded recycled film ugly or unusable.

Because of this, and the long-term desire for more PE to be manufactured back into PE, efforts are being made to be more stringent in eliminating non-PE packaging components.

→ Read our Guide to How2Recycle Labeling for details.

Extended Producer Responsibility

EPR legislation is in motion and expanding across the country. EPR legislation aims to place more responsibility on companies for the management of their products and packaging. In some states, EPR legislation has an explicit focus on reducing plastic packaging and eliminating non-recyclable / non-compostable packaging. It is unclear whether these states will deem PE film recyclable or non-recyclable.

→ Read our Guide to EPR and Packaging Requirements for more information.

Plastic Bag Bans

Bans on single-use plastic bags at checkout are becoming increasingly common, whether statewide or citywide. As mentioned, these bans often affect public access to thin-film recycling drop-offs.

Other Material Bans

Retail plastic bag bans are becoming increasingly common, though these bans don’t affect shipping packaging.

Truth in Labeling

California’s SB 343 prohibits labeling any packaging as “recyclable” unless it meets strict criteria, including that at least 60% of Californians have access to recycling for that material and that MRFs can effectively process it. Based on current state data, Plastic film no longer qualifies and cannot be labeled recyclable in California.

→ Read our Guide to SB 343 for details and recommended next steps.

Retailer Requirements & Guidelines

Most major retailers now have sustainability targets, and many favor environmentally conscious suppliers and vendors. This extends to packaging that is sustainably designed.

→ Read our Guide to Retailer Packaging and Sustainability Requirements for more information.

We are investing in the future of circular packaging by making it easier for consumers and brands to recycle plastic film. We aim to strengthen the infrastructure needed to turn used film into new, high-quality packaging.

To advance this vision, we created the EcoEnclose Plastic Take Back Program, a turnkey recycling solution for brands of all sizes.

Here’s how it works:

1. Your brand purchases poly mailers or other shipping materials from EcoEnclose (or other providers).
2. We help you establish an in-store collection program so your retailers can easily gather used poly bags and film.
3. These materials are shipped back to EcoEnclose, where our team sorts and prepares them for recycling through our partner, Eco-Cycle.

We are actively working to process these inputs into groundbreaking recycled-content poly mailers, closing the loop on plastic packaging. When these mailers are available, participating brands are first in line to purchase them, putting your packaging and brand at the cutting edge of circular innovation.

→ Learn more about how to join the program and take your next step toward a closed-loop packaging system.

These organizations work in the plastic and plastic film space and can be helpful resources for more information on your journey.

• Association for Plastics Recycling is a US-based international non-profit working to improve recycling for plastics.

• Earth 911 is a directory managed to help consumers find store drop-off programs that accept bags and films.

• The Ellen MacArthur Foundation works to accelerate the transition to a circular economy by working with businesses, educational institutions, and individuals to address key issues.

• How2Recycle is a non-profit dedicated to promoting clear and consistent labeling for materials to increase successful recycling.

• Sustainable Packaging Coalition is a membership-based organization that helps government agencies, businesses, and other parties collaborate to make packaging more sustainable.

• Trex is a manufacturer that recycles thin film plastics into durable, high-performance composite decking. They are a top buyer of recyclable thin films and manage their own certification program, NexTrex.

Whether you’re using plastic film plastics and considering alternatives or starting from scratch and trying to figure out the best path for your packaging, we’re ready to connect you with the tools and resources you need.

The EcoEnclose team can help you:

• Evaluate materials in your current packaging
• Identify areas to eliminate excess packaging
• Compare and vet potential alternatives
• Design for recyclability
• Understand the nuances of thin film recycling
• Create clear labels
• Pursue certifications like How2Recycle or NexTrex

To get started, contact us, and a team member will reach out to help you take your next steps toward more sustainable packaging.

EcoEnclose helps forward-thinking brands deliver on their sustainability goals with innovative, research-driven packaging solutions designed for circularity.