By Will Novosedlik

According to Oceana Canada, a non-profit organization dedicated to keeping plastic out of the ocean, only 9% of the plastic we consume gets recycled. The rest ends up in landfills and much of that eventually finds its way into the oceans.

Some retailers have responded to this alarming stat by producing reusable bags, which is a step in the right direction. But they too are made of plastic, and eventually wear, break, or reach the end of their useful life. Existing recycling facilities are not equipped to process them. Currently, Canadians accumulate over 23 reusable bags per person annually, leading to an excess of more than 900,000,000 bags each year.

That leaves Canadian consumers with a massive accumulation of bags that lack a proper recycling pathway. Until now, that is.

The Pattison Food Group – which owns Save-On-Foods, Buy-Low Foods, Choices Market, Nature’s Fare Markets, PriceSmart Foods, Nesters Market and Quality Foods – has partnered with Vitacore, a Canadian PPE manufacturer and distributer who began its Planet Impact program this year, to launch an innovative reusable bag recycling program. Vitacore has developed a technology that can recycle any reusable bag and turn it into new products, lowering plastic waste while supporting the circular economy.

So how does the process work? The reusable bags are collected from the designated receptacles at the Pattison Food Group retail locations and transported to Vitacore’s facility. They are then cleaned, separated, shredded and extruded into plastic pellets or flakes, which can be used as raw materials for making new products such as furniture, clothing, packaging, construction materials and even new reusable bags. By looking at the full lifecycle of a reusable bag, Pattison is able to optimize the environmental outcome.

It’s estimated that reusable polypropylene shopping bags must be reused 10-20 times to have a lower environmental impact than single-use plastic bags. So how many times can a reusable bag be reused? That depends on the type and quality of the plastic material that it is made from. Some plastics are more durable and recyclable than others. For example, polypropylene (PP) is a common material used for reusable bags and it can be recycled up to four times.

In mid-November, the Pattison Food Group is installing reusable bag recycling receptacles in all stores and encouraging customers to bring any reusable bags to be recycled. This is a first in Canada, and as far as Pattison and Vitacore are aware, there are no other markets that have initiated anything similar.

“The launch of our reusable bag recycling program is an example of Canadian innovation, collaboration, and leadership in addressing pressing environmental challenges,” says Mikhail Moore, president of Vitacore. “Our partnership with the 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.”

The folks at Pattison Food Group are equally excited. “This initiative aligns with our efforts to support the circular economy and our zero waste goals, while providing our customers with an option to responsibly dispose of their own reusable bags,” says Darrell Jones, president of the Pattison Food Group. “It’s important for our own sustainability journey to align with the needs and values of our customers, and this project is a great example of that.”