Plastic Trash Bags
Plastic trash bags, also called trash can liners, are widely available with recovered material content including HDPE, LDPE, and LLDPE. The amount of recovered materials used in the manufacturing process is affected by the color, size, and thickness of the bag.
Recommended Recovered Materials Content Ranges:
EPA's Recovered Materials Advisory Notice (RMAN) recommends recycled-content levels for purchasing plastic trash bags as shown in the table below.
Product: | Material (%): | Postconsumer Content (%): |
---|---|---|
Plastic Trash Bags | Plastic | 10-100 |
¹EPA's recommendation does not preclude procuring agencies from purchasing a trash bag manufactured using another material, such as paper. It merely recommends that procuring agencies, when purchasing plastic trash bags, purchase items made from recovered materials.
Product Information:
Database of Manufacturers and SuppliersGSA Advantage!
Additional Links:
2007 Buy-Recycled Series: Nonpaper Office Products (PDF) (7 pp, 93K, About PDF)This fact sheet highlights the nonpaper office products designated in the CPG, including plastic trash bags, and includes case studies, recommended recovered-content levels, and a list of resources.
Technical Background Documents
These background documents include EPA's product research on recovered-content plastic trash bags as well as a more detailed overview of the history and regulatory requirements of the CPG process.