Walmart eliminating single-use plastic bags at all Canadian stores

Signage at a Walmart store is seen on Tuesday, May 3, 2016. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz)

Walmart is eliminating single-use plastic bags in all its Canadian stores, making it one of the country’s largest grocery retailers to make the move.

The change will prevent almost three-quarters-of-a-billion plastic bags from entering circulation each year, Walmart said in a news release.

The decision follows a pilot project that began in August at 10 stores across Canada, including the Walmart in Gloucester.

“By ending the use of single-use plastic shopping bags, we’re fundamentally changing the way Canadians shop with us for the better,” said Sam Wankowski, Walmart Canada’s chief operating officer. “This change will help to eliminate more than 10 million pounds of plastic from entering circulation each year.”

Walmart becomes one of the largest grocery chains in the country to get rid of single-use plastic bags. Sobeys eliminated them from all its 255 Canadian stores last year.

The changes apply to in-store purchases as well as online grocery pickup and delivery orders.

Walmart says the change will be fully rolled out by Earth Day 2022, which is April 22. It plans to launch an education campaign to help customers transition to a plastic-bag-free experience.

Customers will be encouraged to bring reuseable bags from home, but low-cost reusable bags will also be available in-store.