Rona encourages consumers to shop with reusable bags

Boucherville, Quebec-based Rona has announced that as of June 1, Canadian consumers will have to pay 5 cents for single-use plastic bags -- the company hopes this will encourage consumers to shop with reusable shopping bags. The 5-cent charge will help support eco-responsible initiatives.

“Our new shopping bag policy allows consumers everywhere in Canada to do something that’s ecologically responsible by opting for reusable bags instead of plastic ones when they visit a Rona store,” said Rona president and CEO Robert Dutton. “We’re well aware of the harmful impact these bags are having on the environment. As a plastic bag takes nearly 400 years to break down in a landfill site, we need to avoid their use, or else make sure they’re recycled to prevent this situation.”

According to a press release from the company, Canadians take home about 55 million single-use plastic bags per week, which amounts to nearly 3 billion bags a year.

Also starting June 1, Rona will introduce a new size of reusable bag for larger purchases. In addition, the various sizes of plastic bags available will be replaced by a single plastic format made from recycled and recyclable materials.

Amunicipal regulation in Toronto will make the 5-cent charge mandatory for all single-use plastic bags, which will also go into effect on June 1.