Q: I know I can recycle used plastic grocery bags by bringing them to the market. What about bread bags, produce bags, tortilla bags, Ziploc bags, etc.? — K.R.

A: You’ve got the most important thing about plastic bag recycling down, K.R., and that’s the fact that you need to return them to a market (or other large R.I. stores) in order to recycle them. That’s the only acceptable way to recycle plastic bags, and I’m happy to report that this drop-off program accepts the other bags you’ve listed, too. To find a participating store, visit: http://atoz.rirrc.org/items/plastic-bags

There’s an easy way to tell if bags are eligible for the program. As with most recycling programs, there’s a rule-of-thumb to remember: The bag needs to be clean and dry and you need to be able to stretch it, at least a little. Try doing this over your thumb. Bread bags, produce bags, and Ziploc bags all stretch. I assume you are referring to the bag that soft tortillas come in, versus a tortilla chip bag. The former stretches and is accepted in the drop-off program. The latter doesn’t stretch, and is not accepted.

So, what other types of plastic bags don’t stretch, and therefore, should go in the trash? Candy bags, pouches from dried fruit and nuts, zippered bags from comforter sets, and microwaveable frozen meal bags all come to mind.

In addition to confirming that the bags you listed are accepted, K.R., I’m also happy to report that the program isn’t limited to plastic bags. It includes clean, dry, and stretchable plastic film, too. This means that things like deflated air packs, bubble wrap, and overwrap from cases of bottled water are all accepted. They all stretch! As with bags though, there are examples of plastic films that don’t stretch, like cellophane.

Mind you, this plastic bag/film recycling rule-of-thumb (clean, dry, and stretchable), does have some exceptions. I know! I can hear you sighing through the page! If you can just remember one, please remember that clingy food wrap, though stretchable, is not accepted. This is probably the exception-to-the-rule that people use most in their day-to-day lives, and so keeping this out of store collection containers alone, is super helpful. You’ll come across the other exceptions less frequently: bags that once held fertilizer or pesticide and bags labeled “biodegradable” or “compostable” also aren’t desired by recyclers. It’s helpful to tie these (and any bags or film you can’t stretch or can’t get clean and dry) in a knot first, before placing them in the trash. This makes it harder for them to become windblown litter between your house and the Central Landfill.

Finally (because it’s so important, I repeat it every chance I get), never forget that that plastic bags never belong in your mixed recycling bin or cart, in any way, shape, or form; no plastic bags, no bags of plastic bags, and no recycling placed inside of plastic bags, ever.

— Krystal Noiseux is the education and outreach manager at RIRRC. Send your question, including the city or town from where you're writing, to Trash Tutorial, Features Department, The Providence Journal, 75 Fountain St., Providence, RI 02902. Or email features@providencejournal.com and put "Trash Tutorial" in the subject field.