RECYCLING

If you are here, it’s because you want to learn a bit more about recycling and we appreciate you for that.

​

To get the most out of our bags, before disposing of them, you can reuse them. Simply rinse and dry them before using them to store anything you would store in a zip-loc bag. Our pouches are food-grade and made for the freezer/fridge :)

​

But, if you want to learn more about the recycling part, here we go.

​

We built this page because what is meant to be simple, really isn’t. If you are looking for straight directions, skip to the end of the page. But if you are interested in learning more, keep reading.

 

Most brands that have a recyclable bag simply say “recycle where facilities exist” without explaining to you, the consumer, why that is. If there aren’t any facilities, how can you dispose of their bag and what impact does it have? So we decided to take it a step further, because the more information people have, the more likely it will be for this “circular economy” to start working.

 

Circular economy is “an economic system aimed at eliminating waste and the continual use of resources” and it recognizes that the economy needs to work well at all levels - from large to small businesses, from organizations and individuals, global and locally. So we are trying to do our part.

 

Our bags are made of High Density Poly Ethylene (HDPE), also called number 2 plastic, the same plastic of shampoo and detergent bottles.

 

This type of plastic is usually accepted in your common household blue bin, depending on the shape it has, but, stand-up pouches usually aren’t. Why? There are 2 main reasons:

1. The zipper that closes the bag can get caught in the machine.

2. Recyclable stand-up pouches aren’t easily differentiated from traditional stand-up pouches that have an aluminum coating inside.

 

So what does that mean and how can you recycle your Cheese Dots bags? That depends on where you are located. Some areas may accept this item in the blue bin, but as far as our research went, most municipalities in Ontario do not accept it and they ask you to put it in the garbage.

 

Before we decided to keep going with the recyclable bag, we spoke to EFS Plastics, the leader in post-consumer plastic recycling in North America, with facilities in Ontario and Pennsylvania, to understand whether it was worth it or not for us to manufacture a recyclable bag that would end up in the normal garbage and the answer is YES, it is worth it.

 

Although it isn’t as simple as putting it the blue bin and going straight to their facility, your Cheese Dots bags will end up finding their way to their facility to be recycled and become other products.

 

Some major grocery chains, like Walmart and Metro also have drop-off collection bins for HDPE and LDPE plastics, but that will also depend on your region.

 

We highly encourage you to read more about the subject and we left a few useful links at the end of this text. You can also get in touch with your region to know more about how they dispose of certain items.

​

So to recap, your 2 ways of disposing of our bags:

1. at drop-off programs located at Walmart, Metro or Staples (verify with your local store).

2. normal garbage.

​

Recent legislative activity shows promise in this product soon being allowed in the blue bin, so fingers crossed - we will keep you posted.

 

Regardless of how you choose to dispose of your Cheese Dots bags (and other bags), make sure they are clean and dry before placing them in the bin. 

 

If you have any questions, comments or any suggestions of places where you can dispose of HDPE stand-up pouches, please emails us at contact@pazbakery.ca