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Plastic packaging

How to dispose of bubble wrap.

Recommended answerBubble wrap is flexible film and is often excluded from ordinary rigid-plastic recycling.
Find collection placesBrowse recycling centres

Recommended route

Reuse it first, then use a retailer film-return or specialist flexible-plastic route where available.

Before disposal or return

  1. Remove tape, labels and paper.
  2. Keep it clean and dry.

Formats can change the answer

Padded mailers combine materials and may need separation.

Do not

Do not put film into a rigid-plastic bin unless the local service explicitly accepts it.

Reference sources

U.S. EPA — common recyclablesOpen source ↗Recycle Now — item recycling guideOpen source ↗

Checked 2026-08-16

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