Trex program NexTrex recycles plastic bags, plastic film and turn them into composite decking, outdoor furniture and more [Video]

CHICAGO — Studies show that the overall recycling rate for all plastics is under 10 percent, and that number is likely much lower for plastic bags since they can’t be put in into recycling bins at home.

But there is a program that tracks the plastic bag recycling process and turns bags into outdoor products.

“To date we’ve collected over 3,000 pounds of plastic, ” said Patrice Miller, who runs the Barrington Township Food Pantry, part of a nationwide effort to rethink plastic bag recycling. “Every single day we get people pouring in with bags of plastic.”

Miller said local community members have been discouraged about plastic bag recycling since they saw the I-Team investigation in May 2023, in which the ABC7 I-Team used AirTags to track plastic bags around the world after dropping them off at two major retailers who advertise plastic bag recycling.

Out of the 46 trackers deployed by ABC News and ABC stations, a majority of the bags ended …