Reusable Shopping Bags Put in Garbage Cart/Bin Reusable shopping bags can be made from hemp, polypropylene, jute, canvas or cotton. Only the ones made from polypropylene (#5 plastic) can be recycled through a plastic bag drop-off location. They cannot be recycled through your curbside recycling container. Did You Know? Coastal Land Litter Conventional plastic bags are among the top 10 items found most frequently during coastal cleanups. Plastic bags can take up to 1,000 years to break down, though because they are plastic, they will never degrade completely.