Walmart Canada Introduces National Reusable Bag Recycling Program

MISSISSAUGA, ON –  April 15, 2024 – It’s time for Canadians to give their reusable shopping bags a second life. Starting today, Walmart Canada is the first major retailer in Canada to offer its customers a national pilot program to recycle their reusable shopping bags.

Through the free Walmart Blue Bag Recycling Program powered by TerraCycle, the international leader in recycling hard-to-recycle materials, 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 eligible 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,” said 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 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 Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle. “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."

Walmart Canada’s “Fresh Start” Day of Action:

To help give Canadians a head start on their spring cleaning, Walmart Canada is calling on customers to join its Fresh Start Day of Action on April 22, 2024. On this day, the retailer is encouraging Canadians to package up their Walmart-branded blue reusable shopping bags and mail them to TerraCycle to be laundered for donation or recycled through the first-of-its-kind free national recycling pilot program.

To participate in the free recycling program, Canadians can:

1. Collect their extra reusable blue Walmart shopping bags in one convenient spot. Make sure to keep some for the next shopping trip!
2. Sign up at terracycle.ca/walmart-bags to join the program.*
3. On April 22, package up their bags – a minimum of five bags and a maximum package size of 18x18x18 inches - apply the pre-paid label from TerraCycle and drop the package at UPS locations to give themselves and the reusable bags a Fresh Start.

This national reusable bag recycling program is the latest milestone on Walmart Canada’s journey to become a regenerative company. In 2022, Walmart Canada became one of the largest grocery retailers to eliminate single-use plastic shopping bags, a move that prevents more than 680 million plastic bags from entering circulation annually.

*Enrollment limits may apply for the pilot program.

About TerraCycle

TerraCycle is an international leader in innovative sustainability solutions, creating and operating first-of-their-kind platforms in recycling, recycled materials, and reuse. Across 21 countries, TerraCycle is on a mission to rethink waste and develop practical solutions for today’s complex waste challenges. The company engages an expansive multi-stakeholder community across a wide range of accessible programs, from Fortune 500 companies to schools and individuals. To learn more about TerraCycle and join them on their journey to move the world from a linear economy to a circular one, please visit www.terracycle.ca.

About Walmart Canada

Walmart Canada operates a chain of more than 400 stores nationwide serving 1.5 million customers each day. Walmart Canada's flagship online store, Walmart.ca, is visited by more than 1.5 million customers daily. With more than 100,000 associates, Walmart Canada is one of Canada's largest employers and is ranked one of the country's top 10 most influential brands. Walmart Canada has made a commitment to regeneration – focusing on equitable opportunity, sustainability, community, ethics and integrity. Since 1994, Walmart Canada has raised over $750 million to support communities across Canada. Additional information can be found at walmartcanada.ca and on Walmart Canada’s social media pages – Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), Instagram and LinkedIn.