Walmart first major chain in Canada to recycle reusable shopping bags
Published April 15, 2024 at 5:32 pm
Walmart is the first major retailer in Canada to recycle customers’ reusable shopping bags with Monday’s launch of a national pilot program company executives say is “leading the way” in reducing the amount of bags that end up in landfills and incinerators.
Officials with Walmart Canada, which oversees some 400 stores and is headquartered in Mississauga, said the initiative that will allow Canadian shoppers to “give their reusable shopping bags a second life” at no cost to them is effective immediately.
“We know that transitioning away from single-use plastic bags two years ago has been a learning curve for Canadians, and we’re proud to be learning alongside them as we make this change together,” Jennifer Barbazza, senior manager, sustainability at Walmart Canada, said in a news release. “This first-of-its-kind national recycling pilot program will allow Canadians to give their excess or damaged reusable blue bags a second life, free of charge, preventing them from taking up space at home or heading to landfill.”
The Walmart Blue Bag Recycling Program has partnered with TerraCycle, an international leader in recycling hard-to-recycle materials, for the initiative, Walmart officials said.
Customers from coast to coast who sign up for the pilot program will be asked to send in their excess or damaged Walmart reusable blue shopping bags.
Videos
Once the bags are collected, TerraCycle will either launder and donate the bags for reuse by charity partners, including Food Banks Canada, or recycle damaged bags into raw formats that manufacturers use to make new products such as plastic shipping pallets, outdoor furniture, and other goods.
“As the largest grocery retailer in Canada to implement a reusable bag recycling program, Walmart is leading the way by taking voluntary action to reduce the reusable shopping bags that end up in landfills and incinerators,” said TerraCycle founder and CEO Tom Szaky. “In addition, this first-of-its-kind program also provides an opportunity for bags that are still in good condition to be put to good use by Food Banks Canada.”
To help launch the pilot, Walmart Canada is calling on customers to join its Fresh Start Day of Action on April 22. On that day, the retailer is encouraging Canadians to package up their Walmart-branded blue reusable shopping bags and mail them to TerraCycle.
To sign up or for more information, visit TerraCycle online.
insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising