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For the most part, each time we go shopping, we are offered a plastic bag.

The problem is that often when people want to get rid of the pile in their homes, they end up disposing of them improperly.

Many of the plastic bags are placed in city-issued recycling bins, but plastic bags are not items that are recycled this way.

The bags not only damage the equipment a local recycling facilities, but also the bottom line.

“We're selling a commodity to a paper mill and when plastic bags get in that mix, a paper mill has the ability to reject our loads,” Terry Feeney, site manager for the City of Winston-Salem’s Waste Management, said.

“Every family takes home about 1,500 bags a year and disposes of them,” Melanie Bruton, superintendent of material recovery for the City of High Point, said.

“It’s over 100 million bags that are out there, “she added.

Cities including Winston-Salem and High Point are reminding people of how plastic bags can be properly recycled.

The City of Winston-Salem recently featured a video on its Facebook page as an awareness tool.

The bags should be returned to stores that have recycle bins specifically for plastic bags.

Many grocery stores have the bins outside of the stores at the entrance or near the front of the store inside.