Back in the '50s we didn't have disposable polythene bags, nor did we have domestic freezers. The two seem to have arisen hand in hand. We did have cellophane, which became brittle and tore easily, so no use for freezing.
I use a mix of polythene bags and plastic tubs in the freezer now. The tubs last for years and can be re-used many times then I think they can be recycled afterwards (I haven't thrown any out yet). With bags, I tend to re-purpose in that I'll use them to dispose of rubbish, or old soup bones or whatever. When I've finished with them I always split the handles and tie the bags into a tight knot several times, so they don't blow around in the air from a tip, or have loops that wrap around birds' legs - I do that with all plastic wrapping.
The problem I think is not the using of plastic wrap in a situation where it's perfect eg the freezer, but that we don't have a way to recycle plastic thin sheeting, bags etc (and old flower pots). So better recycling, and uses for the products of recycling are the answer our techno wizards need to work towards, asap.