Is bubble wrap recyclable?
What each state's own agency says about bubble wrap & film plastic: the page it was read from, the date it was read, and where that state takes it.
Trash
Recycle
Special drop-off
Whether it's trash, recycling, or a special drop-off depends on your state — find yours in the table below.
Do NOT put plastic bags and wrap in curbside recycling bins — they get tangled in equipment at facilities that recycle cans, bottles, cardboard and paper (Wisconsin DNR).
The federal baseline
EPA keeps film out of the household cart: "Generally, plastic bags and wraps, electronics, and textiles cannot go in a curbside recycling bin." It names the route that does take them: "Many grocery and department stores will accept plastic bags and wrap/film." EPA also says to check with your local provider first, because acceptance varies by area.
Read from EPA.
What happens to it
- A store's film plastic bin takes the film if it is clean, dry, and free of residue.
- In New York, for one, the store must have what it collects transported and recycled, not sent to a solid waste facility.
- Some of the collected film becomes composite lumber for making decks, benches, and playground sets.
- The rest is reprocessed into small pellets.
- Those pellets are made into new bags, pallets, containers, crates, and pipe.
Steps read from New York State DEC.
All 50 states
One row per state, with the sentence its agency page states, the page itself, the date it was read, and where that state says to take it. A state whose name links has a page of its own; for the rest, this row is everything that state says.
| State | Verdict | The rule | Source | Where to take it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No statewide rule | Alabama has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — ADEM's recycling program registers facilities and sets a 25 percent statewide waste reduction goal, but it publishes no list of accepted materials; ask your city or county recycling program what it takes. | Alabama Department of Environmental Management checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| Alaska | No statewide rule | Alaska has no statewide film plastic rule — DEC's household disposal guidance is landfill-based and names no rule for it; ask your borough or city landfill what it takes. | Alaska DEC checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| Arizona | No statewide rule | ADEQ's recycling pages could not be opened for this reading, so nothing is stated here about bubble wrap or film plastic yet. | Arizona Department of Environmental Quality checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| Arkansas | No statewide rule | Arkansas has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — DEQ's recycling page names no accepted materials and sends you to the Arkansas Recycling Markets Directory to find a recycler for a given material. | Arkansas DEQ checked 2026-08-19 | Drop-off finder |
| California | No statewide rule | California has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — CalRecycle says most communities in the state offer residential curbside collection or drop-off sites for certain recyclable materials, and points you to its Where to Recycle Map for what your curbside bin will not take. | CalRecycle checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| Colorado | No statewide rule | Colorado has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — CDPHE's recycling page does not set a household list, but it keeps a plastic film recycler lookup you can search by ZIP code. | Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment checked 2026-08-19 | Drop-off finder |
| Connecticut | No statewide rule | Connecticut has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — DEEP says plastic bags and film should never go in curbside or transfer station single-stream bins, and that participating retailers keep collection bins for them. | Connecticut DEEP checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| Delaware | Recycle | Delaware retailers that hand out exempt produce or bulk bags must run an At-Store Recycling Program for plastic bags and film — take yours back to the store, because film is not accepted in Delaware's curbside carts. | Delaware DNREC checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| Florida | No statewide rule | Florida has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — DEP runs a voluntary Wrap Recycling Action Program partnership with the Flexible Film Recycling Group to cut the film packaging that ends up in curbside bins. | Florida DEP checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| Georgia | No statewide rule | Georgia has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — EPD's recycling resources page lists no accepted materials and points residents to a ZIP-code guide to local recycling centers. | Georgia EPD checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| Hawaii | No statewide rule | Hawaii has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic - the Health Department's Solid Waste Program tells residents to refer to their local county for guidance on disposing of residential solid waste, and links the four county solid waste divisions. | Hawaii Department of Health checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| Idaho | No statewide rule | Idaho has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic - DEQ says counties are required to ensure citizens have adequate household waste disposal options; contact your county solid waste department to find out what it takes. | Idaho DEQ checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| Illinois | No statewide rule | Illinois has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — Illinois EPA's recycling guidelines say no plastic bags and no plastic wrap in the curbside bin, and to return clean film to a retailer. | Illinois EPA checked 2026-08-19 | Drop-off finder |
| Indiana | No statewide rule | Indiana has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — IDEM's what-is-recyclable page hands the question to the Plastic Film Recycling organization's list of which films can and cannot be recycled, and sends you to your solid waste management district. | Indiana Department of Environmental Management checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| Iowa | No statewide rule | Iowa has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — DNR tells residents to keep plastic bags and film out of curbside pickup because they catch in the machinery that sorts recyclables, and to take them to store drop-off instead. | Iowa DNR checked 2026-08-19 | Drop-off finder |
| Kansas | No statewide rule | Kansas has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — KDHE's Bureau of Waste Management regulates storage, transport, and disposal of solid waste rather than what households may recycle; its solid waste facility map shows what is near you. | Kansas Department of Health and Environment checked 2026-08-19 | Drop-off finder |
| Kentucky | No statewide rule | Kentucky has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — the Energy and Environment Cabinet's recycling branch names no accepted materials and routes households to their county solid waste coordinator and the state recycling facilities list. | Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| Louisiana | No statewide rule | Louisiana has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — LDEQ's recycling basics list flexible plastics like grocery bags, bubble wrap and Styrofoam as materials that cannot be recycled, and the drop-off centers it names take plastics No. 1 and No. 2. | Louisiana DEQ checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| Maine | Recycle | Maine retailers that hand out exempt produce, deli, or bakery bags must provide a plastic bag recycling receptacle inside the store or within 20 feet of the entrance — bubble wrap, air pillows, and bubble mailers are on Maine DEP's accepted list, and municipal programs usually do not take film. | Maine DEP checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| Maryland | No statewide rule | Maryland has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — MDE says plastic bags do not belong in curbside bins but many grocery stores take them back, and that your county decides what else is accepted. | Maryland Department of the Environment checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| Massachusetts | No statewide rule | Massachusetts has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — MassDEP's waste bans keep glass, metal, and plastic containers, paper and cardboard, textiles, and mattresses out of disposal, and plastic film is not on that banned list. | Massachusetts DEP checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| Michigan | No statewide rule | Michigan has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — EGLE says retail stores often collect plastic bags and that Emmet County is the only place in Michigan where you can recycle plastic bags curbside. | Michigan EGLE checked 2026-08-19 | Drop-off finder |
| Minnesota | No statewide rule | Minnesota has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — MPCA tells residents plastic bags and other tanglers stop material recovery facility sorters from working, and to look on your county's website or contact your hauler for what the cart takes. | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| Mississippi | No statewide rule | Mississippi has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — MDEQ says plastic grocery bags are not generally accepted in community recycling programs and that many grocery chains keep collection bins at the entrance. | Mississippi DEQ checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| Missouri | No statewide rule | Missouri has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — DNR says to keep plastic bags out of your recycling bin because they are tanglers that can stop a processing line. | Missouri DNR checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| Montana | No statewide rule | Montana has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — DEQ's recycling program offers technical assistance rather than a materials list, and says the state's low population density makes markets hard to find. | Montana DEQ checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| Nebraska | No statewide rule | Nebraska has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — the state no longer maintains its own recycling directory and points residents to the Nebraska Recycling Council's guide for local programs. | Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| Nevada | No statewide rule | Nevada has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — NDEP says most curbside programs do not accept plastic film or bags because they catch in sorting machinery, and that you can recycle plastic bags at collection sites in grocery, hardware, and other stores. | Nevada Division of Environmental Protection checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| New Hampshire | No statewide rule | New Hampshire has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — NHDES says the Solid Waste Management Act does not make recycling mandatory, and the state's six disposal bans cover batteries, electronics, food waste, leaf and yard waste, and mercury-added products, not film. | New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| New Jersey | No statewide rule | New Jersey has no statewide film plastic rule on reachable NJDEP pages — recycling programs are run county by county; check your county recycling coordinator. | New Jersey DEP checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| New Mexico | No statewide rule | New Mexico has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — the Environment Department says recycling programs vary from community to community and to ask your municipal, county, solid waste authority, or tribal program what it takes. | New Mexico Environment Department checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| New York | Recycle | New York's Plastic Bag Reduction, Reuse and Recycling Act makes large chain and grocery stores host a film plastic collection bin — bubble wrap, air pillows, and shipping envelopes are on NYSDEC's accepted list if they are clean, dry, and free of residue. | New York State DEC checked 2026-08-19 | Drop-off finder |
| North Carolina | No statewide rule | North Carolina has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — DEQ's Recycle Right guidance says the bin is for empty cans, bottles, paper, and cardboard only, and to keep all plastic bags out. | North Carolina DEQ checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| North Dakota | No statewide rule | North Dakota has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — DEQ's plastics page points to A Bag's Life for bag and film recovery and names Walmart, Family Fare, and Cash Wise Foods as North Dakota collection points. | North Dakota DEQ checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| Ohio | No statewide rule | Ohio has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — Ohio EPA says recycling activities across the state are controlled locally, and its county map points you to your Solid Waste Management District. | Ohio EPA checked 2026-08-19 | Drop-off finder |
| Oklahoma | No statewide rule | Oklahoma has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — DEQ's recycling fact sheet says plastic bags are among the few plastics recycled in a closed loop and to check with retail markets and dry cleaners for collection. | Oklahoma DEQ checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| Oregon | Special drop-off | Oregon DEQ names plastic bags and wrap among five items to always keep out of your household recycling bin — while polyethylene bags and wrap sit on the producer responsibility acceptance list for depot collection being set up statewide. | Oregon DEQ checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| Pennsylvania | No statewide rule | Pennsylvania has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — DEP's recycling guide says all recycling is local and acceptable materials are set by whoever runs your program, and lists single-use plastic bags among items to take to grocery and big-box stores. | Pennsylvania DEP checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| Rhode Island | No statewide rule | Rhode Island has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — DEM's solid waste and recycling page hands household recycling to the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation, which runs the state's material recycling facility. | Rhode Island DEM checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| South Carolina | No statewide rule | South Carolina has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — SC DES lists plastic bags as a problem item for the recycling bin and says some problem items can be recycled outside your local program, such as plastic bags at grocery stores. | South Carolina Department of Environmental Services checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| South Dakota | No statewide rule | South Dakota has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — DANR's recycling section provides technical assistance and an interactive map of businesses, transfer stations, and landfills that offer recycling. | South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources checked 2026-08-19 | Drop-off finder |
| Tennessee | No statewide rule | Tennessee has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — TDEC's materials management program oversees recycling and solid waste planning without setting a household materials list, and its map shows where to take items near you. | Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| Texas | No statewide rule | Texas has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — TCEQ's recycling page offers resources rather than a materials list and links to the recycling programs of the state's most-populated cities. | Texas Commission on Environmental Quality checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| Utah | No statewide rule | Utah has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — DEQ says plastic bags need a different collection system than other recyclables and to return old shopping bags to the store they came from. | Utah DEQ checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| Vermont | No statewide rule | Vermont has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — DEC says bags can be recycled but never in blue-bin mixed recycling, and that some recycling centers and grocery stores keep a separate bin for clean, dry plastic bags. | Vermont DEC checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| Virginia | No statewide rule | Virginia has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — DEQ says most communities offer curbside collection or drop-off for certain recyclable materials and works with local solid waste planning units on locality-based programs, so ask your local recycling program manager what yours takes. | Virginia DEQ checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| Washington | No statewide rule | Washington has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — Ecology says plastic bags are not recyclable in Washington's curbside recycling programs and that bagged items are pulled off the sorting line and landfilled. | Washington Department of Ecology checked 2026-08-19 | Drop-off finder |
| West Virginia | No statewide rule | West Virginia has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — WVDEP's recycling program publishes a directory of materials and the places that take them, and some listed facilities accept plastic bags, film, and wrap. | West Virginia DEP checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| Wisconsin | No statewide rule | Wisconsin has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — DNR says to keep plastic bags and wrap out of curbside bins and lists bubble wrap, air pillows, and stretch film among the clean, dry films accepted at store drop-off. | Wisconsin DNR checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |
| Wyoming | No statewide rule | Wyoming has no statewide rule on bubble wrap or film plastic — DEQ's solid waste program keeps a directory of the recycling and diversion programs Wyoming towns run; ask yours whether it takes film. | Wyoming DEQ checked 2026-08-19 | County programs |