Bag-2-Bag:

Closing the Loop on Plastic Bags, an Exceptional Story

Plastic grocery bags, dry cleaning bags, retail bags...they’ll no longer be going to the landfill or into our environment. They’ll be going to our state-of-the-art recycling plant where they are turned into clean new bags which can be recycled again and again.

It’s called Bag-2-Bag® and here’s how it works

Plastic bags are collected at grocery stores and other retailers across the country. Collected bags are gathered into bales and transported to the Hilex recycling center in North Vernon, IN. Our recycling center washes and processes the used bags into pellets. The recycled pellets are then used to manufacturer brand new plastic bags.

Protecting Our Environment

We hate to see our products misused and littered. That’s one reason we’re making recycling easier with our Bag-2-Bag® program and a state of the art $13 million recycling facility. We’re also a founding member of the Progressive Bag Alliance, a group of manufacturers devoted to practical, environmentally-sound laws and policies.

Hilex wants to better utilize our natural resources and protect our environment. Bag-2-Bag® can help reduce waste and litter on our streets, waterways, and beaches.

Become an environmental partner

Hilex wants to work with stores to establish effective plastic bag recycling programs. You can see how Bag-2-Bag® is already making a difference in our success stories. Businesses interested in establishing a closed loop plastic bag program can contact our "Bag-2-Bag® Recycling" team via our email form.

Hilex wants to better utilize our natural resources and protect our environment. Bag-2-Bag® can help reduce waste and litter on our streets, waterways, and beaches.

Become an environmental partner

Hilex wants to work with stores to establish effective plastic bag recycling programs. You can see how Bag-2-Bag® is already making a difference in our success stories. Businesses interested in establishing a closed loop plastic bag program can contact our "Bag-2-Bag® Recycling" team via our email form.

What else can I do?

Until everyone has easy access to Bag-2-Bag® recycling, you can still help our environment by responsibly using plastic bags. See our Environmentally responsible bagging page for better ways to use and reuse plastic bags.

Know you are using a recycled content bag

You can request that your local store only use bags with at least 25% recycled content. Look for bags that are grey or buff (tan) to ensure you are getting the highest recycled content levels and the most environmentally prefered bag, like our Grey is the New Green Bag.

In-Store Recycling--Not Just Bags

Our Bag-2-Bag® program makes plastic bag recycling easy for businesses and merchants who use plastic bags. As you shop at participating stores, simply drop off your collected plastic grocery bags, dry cleaning bags and plastic retail bags in the conveniently located Bag-2-Bag® recycling bins. Stores and businesses can then become part of a closed loop plastic bag recycling system by offering new bags with recycled content.

Business partnerships
In-store Bag-2-Bag® recycling is an important partnership between Hilex and businesses that use plastic bags. You can see how Bag-2-Bag® recycling is already making a difference in our success stories. Businesses interested in establishing a closed loop plastic bag program can contact our "Bag-2-Bag® Recycling" team.

Your environmental options
We hate to see our products misused and littered. That’s one reason we’re making recycling easier with our Bag-2-Bag® program and a new $13 million recycling facility. For years cities were looking for easier alternatives than curbside plastic bag recycling and we found it.

What can I recycle in your Bag-2-Bag® program?

The following is a Yes/No check list of items that can/can’t be recycled in our program:

• Yes-- clean HDPE grocery bags, retail bags, dry cleaner bags—These are items with and SPI symbol 2 or 4 (2 or 4 inside of chasing arrows)
• Yes--LLDPE pallet stretch film
• Yes--clean LDPE merchandise over wrap shrink film—These are items with and SPI symbol 4, or 4 inside of chasing arrows--this is the plastic often used to cover flats of soda, water bottles and bulk purchases of toilet paper and paper towels as well as other products.
• No--PVC or PVDC (Saran) films (meat wrap is PVC)
• No--moisture – dry bales only
• No--trash, paper or corrugated materials inside bales (attached paper labels ok)
• No--strapping twine or tape (within the bale)
• No--wood, broken pallets
• No--polystyrene, polyurethane foamed, polypropylene
• No--PETE trays
• No--plastic bottles
• No--oil or grease
• No--hazardous materials, medical wastes, or packages of these products
• No--metal
• No--food or food packaging
• No--produce packaging