Austin's Got A New Bag is a KAB education campaign to promote the use of reusable shopping bags and disposable bag recycling

We’re asking every Austinite to REDUCE your use of disposable bags.  Start using a REUSABLE bag and RECYCLE your paper and plastic bags.

*You can now recycle dry cleaning bags at participating cleaners in Austin. Click Here for locations.

WHY? 

Because disposable bags can have a negative impact on our environments

• Each year in the US we use 91 billion plastic bags and 10 billion paper bags
• The average family collects 60 plastic bags or 30 paper bags in just 4 trips to the grocery
• The production of disposable bags utilizes natural resources and causes pollution
• Only a small percentage of plastic bags are currently recycled
  
• It takes plastic bags 1,000 years to breakdown and paper bags take up a lot of space in the landfill

THE SOLUTIONS:

• Each reusable bag eliminates the need for 1,000 plastic bags or 500 paper bags over its lifetime
• Paper AND Plastic bags are recyclable

GET INVOLVED:

• School Plastic Bag Recycling
  
• Youth Design-a-Bag Art Contest
  
• Campaign Kick Off - April 5th at Waterloo park
  
• Reusable Bag Day - Wednesday, June 18th
  

RESOURCES:

Where can I buy a reusable bag?  How much do they cost?

You can purchase a reusable bag at select retailers in Austin including Central Market, HEB, Randalls, Target, Wal-Mart, Walgreens and Whole Foods Market.  Each of these retailers sell a reusable bag for about $1 each.

Where can I recycle my disposable (paper or plastic) bags?

Plastic Bags can be recycled at the store-fronts of select retailers in Austin including Central Market, HEB, Randalls, Wal-Mart and Whole Foods Market.  Plastic bags can also be recycled at Cycled Plastics - visit  www.cycledplastics.com/Services for details. 
 

Paper Bags can be recycled curbside in Austin or at the Ecology Action Recycling Center. For details on recycling you can visit www.ci.austin.tx.us/sws/recycling and www.ecology-action.org.

Where can I recycle my plastic dry cleaning bags?

Cycled Plastics is working with participating dry cleaners to collect the bags. Click Here to see the list of participating stores. Also, most of these cleaners also take their hangers back. You can also recycle dry cleaning bags and newspaper bags at the retailers listed above for plastic bag recycling.

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