Thin, flexible plastics — like plastic bags, food wrap and packing material — are among the least likely to get recycled. They get tangled up in the machinery at recycling facilities and can ...

While these qualities make plastic wrap ideal for protecting goods, LDPE and similar materials are challenging to recycle and contribute to the accumulation of plastic waste in landfills and oceans.

Plastic Free July is designed to help people reduce their use of single-use plastics and improve recycling practices.

Break down cardboard, shirt and gift boxes so more can fit in the recycling container and fall out readily as it is emptied, Allen said. "Cardboard is good; bubble wrap is garbage.