Pattison Food Group, Vitacore partner on reusable bag recycling program

In the launch of what’s being called Canada’s first reusable bag recycling program, food provider Pattison Food Group has partnered in a new initiative with medical equipment maker Vitacore’s Planet Impact program.

Beginning in mid-November, Pattison Food Group will install reusable bag recycling receptacles in all stores and encouraging customers to bring any reusable bags to be recycled. The program will be available in all Pattison Food Group retail locations across western Canada including Save-On-Foods, Buy-Low Foods, Choices Market, Nature’s Fare Markets, PriceSmart Foods, Nesters Market, and Quality Foods.

A Vitacore reusable bag recycling bin. Image Credit: CNW Group/Vitacore Industries Inc.

“While the shift towards reusable bags in grocery stores across Canada has been a positive step, these bags are typically made from plastics such as polypropylene and have presented new environmental challenges,” officials with Port Coquitlam, B.C.-based Vitacore said. “Existing recycling facilities are not equipped to process reusable bags, leaving Canadian consumers with an accumulation of bags that lack a proper recycling pathway”

Vitacore estimates, for example, that reusable polypropylene shopping bags must be reused 10-20 times to have a lower environmental impact than single-use plastic bags.

“The launch of our reusable bag recycling program is an example of Canadian innovation, collaboration, and leadership in addressing pressing environmental challenges,” said Vitacore president Mikhail Moore. “Our partnership with Pattison Food Group is a testament to our shared vision of a sustainable future. By addressing the environmental challenges posed by reusable bags, we can make a substantial impact and promote responsible consumer choices.”

Currently, Canadians accumulate over 23 reusable bags per person annually, Vitacore said, leading to an excess of more than 900,000,000 bags each year.