TORONTO, Oct. 29, 2019 /CNW/ – The Beer Store has announced today that it will be eliminating single-use plastic bags at all retail locations in January 2020.

“This is an important step forward for the Beer Store, building on our award-winning recycling efforts that have seen over 20 billion beer containers refilled/recycled during the same time span as the more than 4 billion alcohol containers diverted from Ontario landfills since 2007, ” said Ted Moroz, President of the Beer Store. “Even more importantly, our customers expect us to demonstrate leadership in this area.”

Many products sold at the Beer Store are already packaged using recyclable materials for easy transport. For customers who require it, the Beer Store will make available an alternative to single-use bags.  Those reusable bags will be for sale at all locations later this year.

The Beer Store is proud of its environmental stewardship efforts and achievements to date, with operational activities reviewed regularly to identify areas where more can be accomplished. Because environmental leadership is a core value of the business, The Beer Store has in place a return system that recycles both returned empty containers as well as the associated packaging, so that none of that material is sent directly to Ontario landfills.

“By eliminating single-use plastic bags The Beer Store continues to demonstrate environmental leadership in driving waste reduction,” says Jo-Anne St. Godard, Executive Director, Recycling Council of Ontario.

About the Beer Store

The Beer Store offers customers 720 brands, provided by 185 brewers. It is a completely open system that allows any brewer in the world to sell its brands in any Beer Store location it chooses, at prices determined by it and approved by the LCBO. The Beer Store is deeply committed to responsible sale by not selling to minors and people who are intoxicated. In 2015, more than 3.7 million customers were challenged to confirm their age or sobriety. It is also one of the greenest retailers in the world collecting around 1.6 billion beer containers (an 88 per cent return rate) and 349 million wine and spirit containers (a 78 per cent return rate) in 2016. The Beer Store is owned by 33 Ontario-based brewers and employs 7,000 hard-working Ontarians with well-paying full and part-time jobs.

Source

The Beer Store

For further information: Bill Walker, [email protected], 416-624-3936

Read the original news release at newswire.ca