Newspaper Bags Plastic Bag Drop-Off Must Be Dry and Clean If newspaper bags are wet or dirty, they cannot be recycled because they would contaminate the plastic recycling. Make sure to put them in the trash. Ways to Reduce antb / Shutterstock.com Go Digital Everything seems to be going digital, so why not also get a digital subscription to your favorite paper. Buying From the Newsstand There’s always the option of buying newspapers from a stand, instead of having them delivered, so you can go bag-free.