As part of The Salvation Army’s commitment to caring for our communities and the planet, National Recycling Operations (NRO) has launched a Reusable Bag Library in Army thrift stores across Canada. This program is a simple but effective way to provide people with an option to donate their extra reusable bags, so they can be offered to shoppers free of charge.

For a reusable bag to be environmentally friendly, it must be used several times. According to a 2020 United Nations study, a cotton bag needs to be used 50 to 150 times, while a durable, non-woven polypropylene bag must be used 10 to 20 times for it to have less impact on the environment than a single-use plastic bag.

“In June of last year, we eliminated single-use plastic check-out bags from our stores, even though the national ban on single-use plastics announced by the federal government is not yet in effect,” says Ted Troughton, NRO managing director. “Now, we are taking another step with our commitment to environmental stewardship by offering our community members an option to donate the extra reusable bags they have been accumulating and don’t know what to do with. Through our Reusable Bag Library, these bags will be reused as many times as possible by our valued guests, instead of being sent to a landfill.”

For more information on NRO’s social and environmental impact, visit www.thriftstore.ca/impactreport.