Where it Goes: Store Drop-off
Do you ever wonder what happens to the items you drop off at Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub? This series of mini blogs will help shine some light on our various pathways for recycling and reuse for different materials. In this post, we’ll learn about the store drop-off plastic film collection.
At the Hub, we accept soft or flexible plastics and sort them into two major categories: Flexible Film and Store Drop-Off. The Store Drop-Off collection is named that because historically merchants have posted collection bins for specific items in front of their stores. Without proper oversight, however, investigative reporting has revealed that many of these materials were not even being recycled when dropped off at major retailers.
So how can you be sure that your Store Drop-Off materials are in fact recycled? Bring them to the Hub!
First, let’s talk about what differentiates store drop-off from other plastic films. Store drop-off is a specific category of plastic film and includes items like single-use plastic grocery bags, bread bags, bubble wrap, and product overwrap. These items are made from either #2 HDPE, #4 LDPE, are marked as ‘store drop-off’ inside the chasing arrows recycling symbol.
Flexible films that are not store drop-off (like bags for chips, coffee, or grapes) are made of different plastic types and this causes them to have different physical properties. When you push your thumb into these films, they will not stretch and may even break. Some flexible films may also have a crinkly sound, which can be used to help identify them. They may be made from #5 PP, #1 PET, or other plastics. They sometimes even incorporate other materials (many chip bags are made of #5 PP laminated with a thin layer of aluminum), making them especially tricky to recycle.
Store drop-off plastic films, on the other hand, are widely recyclable. Since they are made of #2 HDPE and #4 LDPE, they can be made into all sorts of things! Here at the Hub, our partner for recycling store drop-off is Trex® Decking’s recycling program called NexTrex®. Launched in 2006, NexTrex® began with a mission to help educate the public about the benefits of film recycling and continues to engage communities through their ongoing recycling challenge. If schools and community groups can collect 1,000 pounds of store drop-off in a year, they can receive a Trex® bench made from recycled materials. One plastic grocery bag doesn’t weigh much, but they can really add up!
Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub sent 47,650 pounds of store drop-off to NexTrex® in 2024!
To recycle store drop-off film into decking (and benches), NexTrex® combines the plastic film with sawdust from reclaimed wood to create a strong composite, creating new and durable products from up to 95% recycled and reclaimed material.
Trex®’s website lists the following eight steps in their manufacturing process:
1. Sawdust And Plastic Film Are Purchased
2. Plastic Film Is Cleaned And Ground Into Granules
3. Plastic Film And Sawdust Are Combined And Heated
4. Mixture Is Mixed To A Soft, Pliable Consistency
5. Mixture Is Formed Into Boards Using Profile Dies
6. Boards Are Cooled And Cut To Length
7. Boards Are Inspected By Quality Control For Defects, Strength And Color Accuracy
8. Finished Boards Are Wrapped And Shipped
At Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub, we don’t receive benches for our participation in the NexTrex® recycling program, but we are reimbursed for our bales, allowing us to use store drop-off plastics as a small revenue source. So, by bringing your store drop-off to the Hub, you’re using waste as a resource, participating in the circular economy, and supporting a local non-profit!
If you missed the other blogs in the series, be sure to check them out! You can learn about the Hub’s collections for TerraCycle items, foams, and many rigid plastics and flexible film.
Are there other collections you’d like to learn more about? Let us know in the comments!
