Plastic Film Recycling Expanded In Town Of Smithtown

TOWN OF SMITHTOWN, NY — The Town of Smithtown installed a heavy-duty vertical baler at the Municipal Services Facility (MSF) in Kings Park, the town announced.

This new equipment — funded in part by a grant from The Recycling Partnership — will allow the town to compress and prepare large volumes of soft plastic film for recycling through its partnership with Trex Company, the makers of eco-friendly composite decking.

"This initiative is a prime example of how small everyday actions by our residents can lead to big results for our health and the health of our environment," Supervisor Ed Wehrheim stated in a news release. "Installing the new baler makes our recycling program more efficient, and the response from our community has been overwhelmingly positive."

Wehrheim commended Sanitation Supervisor Matt Laux and Environmental Analyst Brooke Ferreira for securing the grant, which has "undoubtedly made this program operate so successfully," the supervisor said.

Wehrheim also thanked the the leadership of the Smithtown Department of Environment and Waterways, the town's Solid Waste Management and Municipal Services Facility teams, and the public’s commitment.

"We’re keeping plastic film out of landfills and supporting a cleaner, healthier, more sustainable Smithtown," Wehrheim said.

Since launching the Town of Smithtown’s NexTrex recycling program in early 2024, residents have been doing their part, the town said, dropping off used plastic bags and stretchy plastic film at designated collection points across town. The public’s enthusiastic participation, and the "phenomenal efforts" of environmental and solid waste experts, has made it possible for the town to create its first plastic bale weighing approximately 1,200 pounds, with enough clean, dry material on hand to produce two more.

The town set a goal of collecting and recycling 20K pounds of plastic film by the end of 2025.

"The success of initiatives like this are vital to minimizing plastic use wherever possible and ensuring we maintain a healthy, environmentally sound community," Ferreira said. "I want to personally thank Matt Laux, our sanitation supervisor at MSF, for his outstanding work in helping to coordinate the grant funding for the baler and for overseeing its use with his team."

The town noticed "contamination" in its first bale, such as snack bags and food residue that don’t belong, Ferreira said.

"We’re asking residents to double-check what they drop off so we can keep the program clean, cost-effective, and impactful," she said.

The program encourages residents to recycle stretchy plastic film, including Ziploc bags, bubble wrap, shipping envelopes, newspaper sleeves, and plastic packaging, keeping it out of landfills and later up-cycling the material which produces sustainable outdoor living products like Trex decking.

Know Before You Drop: What to Recycle (and What to Avoid)

When recycling plastic film, remember: if it stretches, it qualifies — just look for the #2 or #4 recycling symbols, and always ensure items are clean, dry, and free from contamination. Accepted Items Include:

• Grocery, retail, bread, produce, and dry cleaning bags
• Bubble wrap and case overwraps
• Newspaper sleeves and ice bags
• Ziploc-style food storage bags
• Cereal box liners and pellet stove bags

Not Accepted

Chip bags, salad bags, food-soiled plastics, rigid containers (like detergent bottles), or anything crinkly or dirty. These items contaminate the process and drive up costs.

Drop-Off Locations:

• Municipal Services Facility (MSF): 85 Old Northport Road, Kings Park Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Department of Environment & Waterways (DEW): 124 W. Main St., Smithtown (lobby drop-off) Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Limited volumes accepted).