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The plastic bags you put in your recycling bin may not be getting recycled

Attaway Recycling in Milledgeville says plastic bags can clog up machines and delay the recycling process

One Central Georgia recycling plant manager says they receive thousands of plastic grocery bags, newspaper bags and shopping bags every day, but they have to throw them away.

"I'm sick of plastic bags, we're destroying ourselves," said Bill Boyd, from Jones County. 

Boyd says he takes all of his plastic bags to the Jones County Government Center.

But when you put those plastic bags from the grocery store into your home's recycling bin, where do they go? 

If you recycle in Jones, Bibb, Baldwin or Monroe Counties, they could be going to Attaway Recycling in Milledgeville

At their plant, workers pick through your recycling, throwing away anything that doesn't meet standards.

"In a days' time, we could have 2,000 to 3,000 plastic bags, maybe more,” said Plant Manager Matt Attaway

The plastic bags get separated on the conveyor belt and sent to a landfill--the same place you're trying to prevent them from going when you recycle. 

"At one time there was a market for it, where people would pay a cent a pound, but right now it is trash," Attaway said

Attaway says the bags can clog up the machines and delay the recycling process.

He says Kroger, Publix and other stores have plastic bag recycling.

If you want your bags get recycled, call your recycling service to make sure they actually accept them.

Attaway says most services don't.

According to plasticbaglaws.org, there are thousands of stores nationwide that have those recycling programs, including many grocery stores.

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