Metro eliminates single-use plastic shopping bags in all its food stores and pharmacies

Canadian grocery store chain Metro has announced that all of its food and pharmacy locations will stop offering single-use plastic shopping bags at the start of September this year.

In a June 3 news release, Metro officials said the decision comes as part of the company’s efforts to be more environmentally responsible as a corporation and reduce its contribution to plastic waste.

“Our ambition is to optimize our packaging and printed materials by reducing their use, relying on optimal design, choosing environmentally responsible materials and facilitating their recovery and recycling; these are the principles on which is based our Packaging and Printed Materials Management Policy, which [Metro] published in 2019,” said Marie-Claude Bacon, Metro’s vice president, public affairs and communications.

As a retailer, franchisor, distributor, and manufacturer, the company operates or services a network of some 950 food stores under several banners including Metro, Metro Plus, Super C and Food Basics, as well as some 650 drugstores primarily under the Jean Coutu, Brunet, Metro Pharmacy and Food Basics Pharmacy banners. The company estimates that eliminating single-use plastics will effectively prevent the circulation of over 330 million of the bags each year.

The company also says it has been working on various packaging initiatives since the early 2010s and plans to move forward with other efforts to achieve its goals in corporate responsibility.