Manitoba Loblaw stores to stop using single-use plastic bags

All grocery stores under the Loblaw umbrella in Manitoba will no longer be using single-use plastic bags starting Tuesday.

The company announced the change on Monday, saying this step is being taken to "reduce single-use plastic and its overall environmental footprint."

This change will be seen at No Frills, Real Canadian Superstore, Extra Foods and Wholesale Club.

"Our efforts to remove single-use plastic bags from our stores have already resulted in 13 billion fewer bags going to landfill. But we know there's more work to be done. Today's announcement represents our continued commitment to protecting our environment across the province and beyond," said Robert Sawyer, COO of Loblaw, in a news release.

When customers attend any of the listed stores, they are asked to bring their own reusable bags, but if they can't, reusable bags will be available at the checkout.

The company said this is one of several green initiatives that it is working to implement in the future, including net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, reducing plastic waste by making its packaging recyclable or reusable, and sending zero food waste to the landfill.