A blue bag is a

blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB color model, RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB color model, RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between Violet (color), violet and cyan on the optical spe ...

coloured, sometimes semi- transparent bag for

waste Waste are unwanted or unusable materials. Waste is any substance discarded after primary use, or is worthless, defective and of no use. A by-product, by contrast is a joint product of relatively minor Value (economics), economic value. A wast ...

, mandated for use in some localities for refuse or for certain specific types of refuse.

Description

A blue bag is a

coloured, sometimes semi- transparent bag for

. In some localities, they are mandated for use for refuse or for certain specific types of refuse. In the latter usage, the distinguishing color serves to assist in

recycling Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. This concept often includes the recovery of energy from waste materials. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability to reacquire the propert ...

programs; blue typically indicates that the bag contains

glass Glass is an amorphous (non-crystalline solid, non-crystalline) solid. Because it is often transparency and translucency, transparent and chemically inert, glass has found widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in window pane ...

plastic Plastics are a wide range of synthetic polymers, synthetic or Semisynthesis, semisynthetic materials composed primarily of Polymer, polymers. Their defining characteristic, Plasticity (physics), plasticity, allows them to be Injection moulding ...

polyethylene Polyethylene or polythene (abbreviated PE; IUPAC name polyethene or poly(methylene)) is the most commonly produced plastic. It is a polymer, primarily used for packaging (plastic bags, plastic films, geomembranes and containers including bott ...

content.

Location-specific

Taiwan

In Taipei, residents must use an official blue garbage bag to dispose of general waste, with the bags being collected from designated pickup spots.

United Kingdom

Blue bags are used to distinguish different types of recyclable materials at the point of collection. The content allowed differs from area to area, depending on decisions of the local council.

United States

Chicago

The

City of Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

implemented a blue bag system in 1995. It operates by requiring willing participants to purchase blue garbage bags (available at major grocery stores throughout the city) and depositing recyclable material in the bags. The waste may be paper-based (cardboard boxes, gift boxes, newspaper, etc.), plastic and glass, or yard/lawn refuse. A separate blue bag must be used for each of the three types of recyclable material. The Chicago system has been criticized for its tediousness and inconvenience, as blue bags cost more to the homeowner than grocery bags and this system of recycling, compared to ones implemented in other cities and suburbs, requires additional effort. Chicago Sanitation management has claimed Chicago's Blue Bag system diverts approximately 25% of its waste to recycling facilities, which was its initial goal. However, most independent studies place the estimates at approximately 9% of the garbage picked up, resulting in continued criticism towards the program. On May 2, 2008, the Chicago SunTimes reported that Chicago is giving up on the program, planning to shift to curbside recycling in blue carts by 2011.

Other cities

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Wilkes-Barre ( , alternatively or ) is a city in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. Located at the center of the Wyoming Valley in Northeastern Pennsylvania, it had a population of 44,328 in the 2020 census. It ...

has used blue bags for garbage collection. A supplier of the city's bags expressed that the consumer cost to purchase bags incentivizes reduction in landfill waste. A change to stickers had been considered when budgeting for 2018, but the bags were retained and granted a higher purchase price. When supplies of the bags were limited in 2022, the city temporarily sold stickers to affix to normal garbage bags.

References

External links

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{{Recycling, state=expand Waste containers Bags