Most plastic bags are made of polyethylene, which is a product of natural gas and petroleum. The traditional plastic bags at the grocery checkout are made from #2 plastic, high-density polyethylene or HDPE. Plastic #4, low-density polyethylene or LDPE, is used to make the stronger plastic bags used by retail stores.

California needs a new bag ban The reality is that few people actually reuse them. Instead they end up as trash and harm our environment just as much as the thinner ones did. And because they are thicker, plastic bag waste by weight actually increased in the last few years to the highest level on record.

HTS Code 3923.29 Sacks And Bags (including Cones), Of Plastics Others.

Mechanical issues: Plastic bags are lightweight and can get caught in recycling machinery, degrading the effectiveness of the sorting process and causing potential breakdowns. This not only disrupts the recycling process but can also be dangerous for workers at recycling facilities.