Walmart Canada has launched a national reusable bag recycling program to give resuable bags a second life.
Walmart is the second retailer to launch the program, although it is the first retailer nationally to launch one. Last November, Pattison Food Group launched Canada’s first resusable bag recycling program.
Through the free Walmart Blue Bag Recycling Program powered by TerraCycle, customers across the country can send in their excess or damaged Walmart reusable blue shopping bags to help give them a second life. Once collected, TerraCycle will take the bags and 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, like plastic shipping pallets, outdoor furniture, and more.
“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. Today, we’re proud to offer Canadians an opportunity for a “fresh start” by launching our national reusable bag recycling pilot program,” says Jennifer Barbazza, senior manager, sustainability, Walmart Canada. “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.”
As part of its plan to encourage shoppers to participate in the program Walmart Canada has implemented a “Fresh Start Day of Action” on April 22, 2024 and is encouraging shoppers to package uup their Walmart-branded blue resuable bags and mail them to TerraCycle for laundering so they can be donated or recycled through the free national recycling pilot program.
Walmart says the program is the latest in its journey to become a regenerative company. In 2022, it was one of the largest grocery retailers to eliminate single-use plastic shopping bags.
