First Loblaw Banner in Quebec Goes Bagless
MONTREAL -- A Sherbrooke Maxi & Co store this week became the first Loblaw Cos., Ltd. grocery and general merchandise store in Quebec to stop offering plastic bags at checkout. The location is the third Loblaw banner store to go bagless, after stores in Milton, Ont. and Langford, B.C.
In April 2007 Loblaw committed to reducing 1 billion plastic grocery bags from Canada's landfills within a year, by offering consumers more sustainable choices. Canadians now use about 10 billion plastic bags annually.
"As the largest grocery retailer in Quebec and Canada, we have a duty to help reduce the quantity of waste in our communities," noted Loblaw executive chairman Galen G. Weston in a statement. "Customers of Maxi & Co in Sherbrooke are responding well to the reusable bag and box proposal. In fact, the Sherbrooke area has the highest level of bag reuse within the Quebec network. This helped persuade us to operate this store free from traditional plastic bags distributed at the checkouts and to work with our customers to make a positive step towards a greener environment."
The measure implemented this week at the Sherbrooke Maxi & Co. comes in the wake of a comprehensive communications plan designed to encourage shoppers to reuse bags and boxes. Additionally, shoppers will be able to choose the company's PC Green reusable bags and PC Green boxes, the latter of which are inserted into store grocery carts and replace the equivalent of three to five standard grocery bags.
Loblaw-owned Provigo, Inc., with its Loblaws, Maxi & Co, Maxi, Provigo, L'intermarchE, Axep, Presto, and Club EntrepUt Provigo banners, is the largest food retailer in Quebec.
Loblaw is one of the largest private-sector employers in Canada, employing more than 139,000 full-time and part-time workers.
In April 2007 Loblaw committed to reducing 1 billion plastic grocery bags from Canada's landfills within a year, by offering consumers more sustainable choices. Canadians now use about 10 billion plastic bags annually.
"As the largest grocery retailer in Quebec and Canada, we have a duty to help reduce the quantity of waste in our communities," noted Loblaw executive chairman Galen G. Weston in a statement. "Customers of Maxi & Co in Sherbrooke are responding well to the reusable bag and box proposal. In fact, the Sherbrooke area has the highest level of bag reuse within the Quebec network. This helped persuade us to operate this store free from traditional plastic bags distributed at the checkouts and to work with our customers to make a positive step towards a greener environment."
The measure implemented this week at the Sherbrooke Maxi & Co. comes in the wake of a comprehensive communications plan designed to encourage shoppers to reuse bags and boxes. Additionally, shoppers will be able to choose the company's PC Green reusable bags and PC Green boxes, the latter of which are inserted into store grocery carts and replace the equivalent of three to five standard grocery bags.
Loblaw-owned Provigo, Inc., with its Loblaws, Maxi & Co, Maxi, Provigo, L'intermarchE, Axep, Presto, and Club EntrepUt Provigo banners, is the largest food retailer in Quebec.
Loblaw is one of the largest private-sector employers in Canada, employing more than 139,000 full-time and part-time workers.