Sobeys brings bag recycling to town

Above: Susie and Shaun Thompson pose with the recycling bin in their Morinville store. – Stephen Dafoe Photo

by Stephen Dafoe

Despite weekly curbside recycling pickup that helps Morinvillians keep items out of the landfill, plastic bags are one item not on the current recycling list.

Morinville Sobeys franchise owners Shaun and Susie Thompson have pitched in to help out. The local business owners have brought in the NOVOLEX Bag-2-Bag program.

The Bag-2-Bag program is a closed loop recycling program where consumers can bring plastic retail bags and other wraps and films back to their local store to be recycled and made into new bags.

Shaun Thompson said the store had the program many years ago and brought it back to the store recently after a request from Public Works.

Any plastic shopping bag – Sobeys or any retailer – can be dropped off in the bin out front, as well as torn garbage bags. The bags need to be clean and unsoiled.

“It’s been used quite well,” Thompson said of the Bag-2-Bag program. “Last week we had two or three of the large bags [taken out]. We’ll take anyone’s bags. They can be torn garbage bags that you didn’t use or had clothes in them. Nothing soiled.”

Thompson said the bags are sent off to be compressed, shipped to the United States, and recycled into other products, including plastic bags.

“People have taken to it quite well, and it will be here as long as people are using it,” Thomspon said. “It’s better than them going into a landfill.”

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7 Comments

  1. Good on the initiative by the good people at Sobey’s. Not only do they have a great grocery store but it is so good to shop there and have your bags packed for you and not have to pay a ridiculous fee. That’s why I shop at Sobey’s all the time.

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