Recycle This Pittsburgh

Bubble Wrap

About These Items

Sheets of bubble wrap are used to protect fragile items when they are shipped. Unfortunately, bubble wrap is not accepted by the city of Pittsburgh’s curbside recycling. Bubble wrap is made of polyethylene plastic film like plastic shopping bags, so it can be recycled the same way at local collection bins for plastic film recycling (see below). If you can resist popping the bubbles of your bubble wrap, it can also be reused many times.

Drop them off at dedicated local locations.

There are some local locations where you can drop off plastic bags and other flexible film plastics, including bubble wrap. Pop bubbles before recycling! The Plastic Film Recycling.org site keeps an up-to-date list of locations that is searchable by zip code.
These local chains typically have plastic film collection bins on site:

• Giant Eagle
• Target
• Lowe’s
• Whole Foods

Recycle by Reusing.

Bubble wrap, like cardboard boxes, is often in demand from Pittsburghers needing to move or ship fragile items. If you have extra bubble wrap consider posting your free bubble wrap to local message boards like NextDoor so you can pass this useful material on to your neighbors. Likewise, if you find yourself in need of bubble wrap, consider making a post to ask for someone’s leftovers instead of buying more of this plastic material.

Donate to the Center for Creative Reuse.

Bubble wrap is accepted as a donation at the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse, which is a non-profit, non-traditional art supply shop located at the intersection of Wilkinsburg, Homewood, and Point Breeze, where people can donate and shop for used art and craft supplies.