Grocer to begin charging for shopping bags in Ontario
and Quebec
Toronto, May 19 2009 – Metro furthered its
commitment to the environment today by introducing a multi-faceted
program that will help the company reach its broader environmental
and sustainability goals. The highlight of the program is the
launch of a $2 million Green Apple School Program. The program will
officially launch on June 1, 2009, when all Metro stores across
Ontario and Quebec begin collecting the five cent fee for shopping
bags. This initiative will help reduce the number of plastic bags
currently in circulation and will go a long way to enable Metro to
reach its target of a 50 per cent reduction by the end of
2010.
“This measure will enable us to reduce the impact of our operations
on the environment and promote healthy living habits,” said Robert
Sawyer, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Metro
Inc. “The Green Apple School Program encourages thousands of
students to contribute to a solution that will ultimately improve
their local communities.”
GREEN APPLE SCHOOL PROGRAM
Metro Inc. is allocating $1 million per province to support the
newly-created Green Apple School Program. Developed specifically to
encourage schools to actively participate in environmental
stewardship, grants offered by the Green Apple School Program are
driven by conservation and healthy living proposals submitted by
students and teachers.
ENVIRONMENTAL INVOLVEMENT
Today’s announcement builds on a history of leading environmental
steps taken by the company including being the first grocer to
offer reusable bags in 2006. Since its inception, 20 per cent of
Metro’s customers are using reusable bags. Other initiatives
include addressing air pollution by enforcing speed limiters on all
delivery trucks since 2006 and launching its in-house awareness
program “Leave It Greener” to encourage its employees to be more
environmentally conscious at work.
Communications to shoppers about the new fee-for-bag process and
the Green Apple School Program will be done via in-store signage,
weekly flyers and a dedicated website.
ABOUT METRO INC.
With annual sales of nearly $11 billion and over 65,000 employees,
Metro Inc. is a leader in the food and pharmaceutical sectors in
Quebec and Ontario, where it operates a network of close to 600
food stores under several banners including Metro, Metro Plus,
A&P, Loeb, Super C and Food Basics, as well as over 250
pharmacies under the Brunet, Clini Plus, The Pharmacy and Drug
Basics banners. For further information, please visit
metro.ca.
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For more information contact:
Selena Fiacco
Director, Communications
Metro Ontario Inc.
416-234-6081
selena.fiacco@metro.ca
GREEN APPLE SCHOOL PROGRAM
The Green Apple School Program is a specially designed grant
program that engages young people in Ontario and Quebec to consider
a healthier environment and make healthier living conscious choices
– rewarding them for their efforts to make a positive impact.
When will this program launch?
- The Green Apple School Program is effective June 1, 2009
- Applications will be accepted starting in September and winning projects could be announced as early as the end of September
Who can participate in this program?
- All elementary and secondary schools from School Boards in Ontario and Quebec.
How does the program work?
- Applicants will be asked to describe the proposed project and provide Metro with detailed examples on how the venture will contribute to healthier living in their school and community
Initiatives can fall under the following categories:
- Community Clean up (park, street, beach)
- Tree plantings
- Energy conservation
- Beautification projects
- Community gardens
- ‘Eco friendly’ purchasing
- Waste reduction
- Community education
- Transportation
How will grants be selected?
- Healthier environmentally-conscious and action-oriented schools in Ontario and Quebec will have the opportunity to access $2 million worth of grants ($1 million per province)
ENVIRONMENTAL INVOLVEMENT
Metro believes that it has a duty to respect and protect
the environment. Below is an outline of Metro’s environmental
initiatives.
- In January 2006, Metro became the first food distributor in Quebec to offer customers reusable bags for only one dollar with Metro stores in Ontario following suit in June 2006. Metro’s bag is made from 100% post-consumer recycled materials and is also 100% recyclable at the end of its useful life.
- Two years after the launch of its reusable bag, Metro made another significant environmental act by adhering to the Voluntary Code of Good Practice for the Use of Shopping Bags. This code was adopted on April 21, 2008 by the Association des détaillants en alimentation du Québec, the Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors, the Conseil québécois du commerce de détail, Recyc-Québec and Éco Entreprises Québec. It aims to better manage the use of paper and plastic shopping bags.
- In 1998, Metro drafted and implemented an environmental policy that stipulates the Corporation take the necessary measures to act in accordance with environmental laws and regulations and continuously improve its environmental record.
- Another way that Metro is reducing the amount of plastic being sent to landfills is by offering a return-to-retail plastic bag recycling program in its Ontario stores. Customers are encouraged to return any plastic shopping bag to Metro for environmentally- friendly recycling regardless of whether the bag came from a Metro store or not. This program will shortly be in place as well in Quebec.
- In the last two years, Metro has diverted over 1000 metric tonnes of plastic film from landfill as a result of its programs and efforts by customers and staff.
- On Earth Day in 2008, the "Leave It Greener" program was expanded to the entire company and to our network of supermarkets in order to promote environmentally responsible behaviour to consumers. Our initiatives included using "Did you know…?" shelf cards in stores to showcase products that are more environmentally friendly.
- In April 2009, Metro continued its environmental efforts by holding its first "Leave It Greener" week across all its offices and buildings. Presentations were made by experts to educate employees about waste reduction in the workplace and climate change, a contest was held to promote environmentally friendly habits at work, and "green" information is now posted on the company''s intranet and in its internal newsletters.
- Since September 2007, Metro has been involved in the Environmental Sustainability Initiative (ESI). Spearheaded by the food distribution industry, the initiative’s specific objective is to account for the greenhouse emissions (in carbon dioxide equivalent) of retail sales activities. This is an important step toward collectively reducing the industry''s carbon footprint.
- In 2008, Metro’s cardboard recycling program collected close to 60,000 metric tonnes. In the same year, close to 1,000 tons of plastic wrap and 6,500 tons of organic materials were recovered.
- In addition to major programs such as the reusable shopping
bags or the 3Rs, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Metro has launched a
number of smaller initiatives which reinforce the company''s green
philosophy.
- Weekly flyers are printed with vegetable inks and are on paper made from wood residue and recycled fibres
- Program to reduce lighting 24/7 in Ontario during the summer season. This initiative led to a total energy saving of more than 10 million kWh for all sites involved
- Donations of over $12 million to Éco Entreprise Québec and Stewardship Ontario since 2004 to finance municipal recycling programs. All brand owners and first importers who sell consumer products in Quebec and Ontario must finance 50% of the programs
- Partnership with the Trees Ontario program in 2008. A cutout of
a tree on recycled paper was sold for $2, which raised $132,987 for
the organization. Also, at Food Basics stores, 25¢ was given to
Trees Ontario for each reusable bag sold. This initiative raised
$74,910
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