I do my very best to be a good steward of earth and try and recycle everything that can be, well… recycled! But you cannot always just trust that plastics, or even everything with the universal three-arrow symbol, can actually be tossed in the recycle bin.

For example, soft, stretchy plastics can make up grocery bags, bubble wrap and more. They’re impossible to avoid and harder still to properly dispose of.

If thrown in the trash, they can take up to hundreds of years to degrade in landfills and release harmful microplastics into the environment. Over 3 million tons (2.7 metric tons) of plastic bags, sacks and wraps in the United States went to landfills in 2018, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Grocery bags dumped in curbside recycling bins, on the other hand, can create problems for recycling.

“Once they get shredded or even before, a lot of times they just clog recycling equipment,” said Delaware-based chemical engineering expert and science communicator Erha Andini.

Disposing of these flexible products, known as plastic films, can differ based on which ones you have and where you’re located.

While it’s difficult to live a plastic-free life, there are simple ways to get rid of the most common culprits, as well as other ways you can make a difference.

Here are some tips:

How to identify plastic films

There are many different plastics, from harder kinds like water bottles and takeout containers to softer plastic films. Experts say the best way to describe plastic films is with examples: think bread bags, plastic cereal bags and overwrap for bulk items like toilet paper.

To identify a plastic film, you can also look for the classic three-arrow logo with a number inside it. That logo identifies what kind of plastic an object is made of — not whether it’s recyclable in a curbside bin.

Many plastic films are labeled with the numbers two or four, meaning they are made of either high or low-density polyethylene. These can be dropped off for recycling at some designated local grocery or convenience stores.

Putting such films in general recycling bins with the hope they’ll end up in the right place — a concept known as wishcycling — can make it harder to process other plastics, so it’s worth considering other options.

Don’t put plastic bags in household recycling bins

Instead of stashing plastic films with household recycling like cardboard or cans, leave them in the specific drop-off bin at a grocery or convenience store. Once dropped off, the bags are given to recyclers who reprocess them into materials for new things like furniture.

Grocery bags and soft plastics labeled with the numbers two and four are generally accepted at these bins. To figure out what other kinds of plastic you can bring, look up recycling regulations for the specific store and your area.

Before dropping something off, make sure it’s not covered in food residue or too degraded. Such plastics aren’t good candidates for recycling and should go in the trash. Don’t forget to remove stray items like receipts from plastic bags.

Reuse the bags you already have

It’s also possible to give new life to that bag full of plastic bags stashed under the sink. Using the same plastic bags for multiple grocery runs or for bathroom trash cans can prolong the life of plastic films, allowing you to get more use before they head to waste management.

Some things may still eventually end up in the trash, and that’s okay. Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good, Sobkowicz says. Small swaps and changes are better than nothing, and your local recycling plant will still be grateful.