Forgetting a reusable shopping bag can be a frustrating experience for consumers, particularly as grocery stores phase out plastic options in favour of reusable and paper alternatives. While purchasing a paper bag may seem like an easy solution, the environmental toll is significant. Recognizing this, Georgia Main Food Group (GMFG) is introducing a first-of-its-kind initiative in Canada—the Borrow a Bag program—designed to make sustainable shopping easier and more accessible for consumers.
“We know our customers want to do the right thing when it comes to shopping sustainably and saving money, and after a successful pilot, we are proud to launch Canada’s first-ever Borrow a Bag program at IGA and Fresh St. Market stores in British Columbia,” said Tom Truchan, Director, Health & Food Safety, Sustainability & Logistics at GMFG.
Addressing the Environmental Impact of Paper Bags
Despite the push toward sustainability, many consumers still rely on paper bags as a fallback option when they forget their reusable ones. However, paper bag production is far from environmentally friendly.
“It takes one mature tree to produce 700 paper bags, and when we do the math, we are selling the paper bag equivalent of more than 3,000 trees each year in our stores,” explained Truchan. “We knew we had to think differently to reduce our reliance on paper and elevate our approach to reusable bags.”
The Borrow a Bag program is a circular system that allows customers to take home a reusable bag for a refundable deposit of $2.99. Once they no longer need the bag, they can return it to any participating store to reclaim their deposit. The returned bags are then laundered and put back into circulation for further customer use, reducing waste and promoting sustainability.
How Borrow a Bag Works
The program has been designed with convenience in mind, ensuring customers don’t have to worry about accumulating too many reusable bags or resorting to single-use paper options.
“Many households have an overabundance of reusable bags that have accumulated over time, while other customers opt for ‘single-use’ paper bags that have significant environmental impacts,” said Truchan. “Now at IGA and Fresh St. Market, customers don’t have to worry about forgetting their bag at home. Even if they collect several Borrow a Bags, they can return them at any time to get their $2.99 deposit back.”
The concept was tested in select IGA locations in Coquitlam and Surrey throughout 2023 and 2024. The success of this pilot program prompted GMFG to expand it to the majority of its stores in British Columbia in 2025.
Positive Feedback from Customers and Staff
Since its introduction, the Borrow a Bag program has received widespread support from both customers and staff, who appreciate the simplicity and practicality of the initiative.
“We have heard excellent early feedback from staff and customers in our pilot locations,” said Truchan. “With the widespread rollout of Borrow a Bag, customers shopping at IGA and Fresh St. Market should never have to purchase a new reusable or paper bag again.”
About Georgia Main Food Group (GMFG)
Founded in 1903 at Georgia and Main streets in Vancouver, Georgia Main Food Group is a proudly Canadian, family-owned company with deep roots in British Columbia’s grocery industry. With over 120 years of history, GMFG operates 21 IGA locations, eight Fresh St. Market stores, and recently opened its first Asian grocery store, Meiga Supermarket, in Port Moody.
