Plastic Bag, Film, and Mailing Envelope Recycling

collection of plastic bags and plastic film including a shipping envelope Plastic bags cannot be recycled in your curbside recycling containers because they cause significant problems at the recycling facility, wrapping around the machinery and halting sorting operations. You can drop off clean plastic bags and film at special collection locations to be recycled. Plastic bags can also be thrown away in your garbage.

While thin carryout plastic bags are no longer allowed under Washington State's plastic bag ban, you may still be provided thicker plastic bags, which are considered reusable and customers are required to pay for. We encourage you to reuse these bags first, and recycle what you can't reuse.

Drop Off Plastic Bags, Film, and Mailing Envelopes for Recycling

What you can bring

Bundle your clean plastic bags and film to return to grocery stores:

  • thick plastic carryout bags
  • bread bags
  • plastic produce bags
  • all-plastic mailing envelopes like Amazon bubble mailers (throw away paper-lined bubble mailers) - remove mailing labels
  • packaged air bubbles (pop to take up less room)
  • bubble wrap
  • overwrap (e.g. plastic wrap around paper towels)
  • newspaper bags
  • dry cleaning bags

All items must be empty, clean, and dry. Labels must be removed. 

Where to recycle your plastic bags and film in Kirkland

Many grocery stores accept plastic bags for recycling. Check at your preferred grocery store to see if they accept plastic bags and film for recycling. These locations at Fred Meyer, QFC and Safeway were confirmed to have plastic bag recycling stations as of April 2021 (hover or click for details):

Fred Meyer - Main entrance, vestibule, far left side, near other kiosks (photo taken 5/21)

Fred Meyer - Main entrance, vestibule, far left side, near other kiosks (photo taken 5/21)

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Totem Lake QFC on 124th - right entrance, inside, left (photo taken 5/21)

Totem Lake QFC on 124th - right entrance, inside, left (photo taken 5/21)

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Inglewood QFC - outside, Right Entrance, not well marked (photo taken 4/21)

Inglewood QFC - outside, Right Entrance, not well marked (photo taken 4/21)

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Kirkland Urban QFC - vestibule, South Entrance (photo taken 8/19)

Kirkland Urban QFC - vestibule, South Entrance (photo taken 8/19)

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Juanita Safeway on 100th - Right Entrance, inside to the left (photo taken 4/21)

Juanita Safeway on 100th - Right Entrance, inside to the left (photo taken 4/21)

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Kingsgate Safeway - Right Entrance, inside to the left (photo taken 4/21)

Kingsgate Safeway - Right Entrance, inside to the left (photo taken 4/21)

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Find more plastic film recycling locations at NexTrex. 

If you discover that one of these containers has moved, please let us know so we can update this page! Send us a message at recycle@kirklandwa.gov or call (425) 587-3812. Thanks!

dumpster for recycling plastic wrap and bags at Shoreline Transfer Station, showing collection bag and sign Where to recycle large amounts of plastic film

If you've accumulated a large amount of plastic bags and film, you can bring it to the Shoreline Transfer Station for free recycling. (Note that you will need to bring proof of King County residence.)


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