Trash proves a lucrative untapped resource

Grocery stores operate on razor-thin margins, squeezed by rising costs for everything from seafood to soft drinks. One overlooked revenue stream sits in their trash bins: flexible film plastic.

Every day, stores discard tons of the material—stretch wrap from pallets, bags from produce, and packaging from paper towels. Most of it ends up in landfills. Recycling markets pay up to $0.17 per pound for clean film plastic, turning waste into a cost-free income source.

Flexible film plastic as a revenue source

A single grocery store can generate one to three large bags of flexible film plastic daily. Each bag weighs about 8.6 pounds, roughly the same as a gallon of milk. At current prices, that translates to $1.20 to $1.46 per bag.

Annually, a store collecting just one bag a day could earn $534. That amount requires no additional costs, inventory, or disposal fees. To match that revenue through milk sales, a store would need to sell an extra 2,691 gallons a year.

Customers as suppliers

Stores don’t have to rely only on their own waste. Many already collect plastic bags from customers at front-of-store recycling bins. Expanding those programs to include other flexible plastics—like dry-cleaning bags or bread wrappers—could increase volumes.

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The arrangement benefits both sides. Customers gain a convenient way to dispose of plastic responsibly, while stores turn waste into cash. One bag a day might not seem significant, but over a year, it becomes a steady revenue stream.

There’s another advantage: avoiding disposal fees. Many municipalities charge businesses for trash removal, especially for non-recyclable waste. By diverting film plastic from the dumpster, stores save money twice—once on avoided fees, and again on the sale of the material.

Not every store has adopted the practice. Some consider it too minor to pursue. Others lack space or staff to sort and store the plastic. Recyclers won’t pay for contaminated or mixed materials, so quality control is essential.

For those willing to invest the effort, the calculation is straightforward. The plastic is already present. The market exists. The decision comes down to whether stores will treat it as waste or as a resource.

In an industry where every penny counts, film plastic may be the simplest money available.