Reusable shopping bag program

Find an organization near you where you can pick up free reusable shopping bags for personal use.

Residents can donate reusable shopping bags at the Vancouver Vancouver Zero Waste Centre.

Follow these steps before donating bags to ensure bags can be reused

1. Remove all items from inside the bags, including receipts and personal belongings.
2. Remove any cardboard or plastic inserts from the bags.
3. Wash your bags (in a washing machine or by hand).
4. Tumble dry bags on low heat or hang to dry. Ensure bags are completely dry before donating to prevent mold.
5. Inspect bags for any damage. Do not donate bags with broken handles, ripped seams, or large holes.
6. Lay bags flat on top of each other. Do not stuff bags inside of one another.

Information icon The following items are not accepted as part of this donation stream:

• Single-use plastic and paper shopping bags
• Reusable bags smaller than 23 cm x 30 cm when laid flat
• Reusable bags with sewn-in partitions for wine bottles
• Bags with mold or mildew, paint stains, or contaminated with oil
• Shopping bags on wheels
• Insulated cooler bags

Plan your visit to the Vancouver Zero Waste Centre

A list of non-profits that accept donations of reusable shopping bags from residents will be available soon.

We encourage businesses to consider the following suggestions for complying with the shopping bag by-law, while also supporting charities and non-profits that offer programs to residents who are disproportionately affected by income inequality.

• Use revenue from bag fees to fund the donation of reusable bags to charitable food services and other non-profits that offer programs like grocery hampers and clothing rooms
• Donate leftover stock of plastic shopping bags to non-profits that can make them available to community members to use for other purposes (for example, as garbage bin liners)
• Collect donated reusable shopping bags from your customers, and drop the bags off at one of the non-profits accepting donated bags. Make sure your customers know that bags must be clean and dry, and in good condition (no broken handles, ripped seams, or large holes) to ensure they can be reused.

Review a list of non-profits that accept donated shopping bags from businesses PDF file (180 KB)