Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) told the chain it would have to stop its practice of throwing away the bags, citing concerns that they are “problematic” and “difficult to recycle.”
The Co-op’s decision on grocery bags at checkouts from 2019 has also upset shoppers.
“They’re compostable. So I think we should be able to use them that way,” Theresa Johnston said Tuesday.
“I don’t think the government should be telling us they have to get rid of them.”
Fellow Co-op shopper Caitlyn Axworthy says she uses them as an alternative to compost bin liners after she gets home from the grocery store.
“So it’s a bit sad to know that they’re actually going to be told to get rid of them.”
Ken Keelor, CEO of Calgary Co-op, stands with his customers on the issue.
“Think about it – three years ago you were at the Calgary Co-op and you were happy to buy your groceries and bag them for composting.
“We communicated with the city that you can use them in your green bin, and you were happy to do that. And now all of a sudden, you can’t.”
He also believes ECCC’s requirement to sell the compostable bags in off-the-shelf packaging will confuse his customers.
“So you can buy them as off-the-shelf bins, but we can’t put your shopping in them. We think that’s a bit unusual for our members and I think they’re going to have a hard time accepting it.”

POLITICAL SUCCESSES FOR COOPERATION

In addition to confusing customers, there are likely to be City of Calgary employees who will be just as confused.
Shannon Howland, head of program management at the City of Calgary’s Waste and Recycling Services, says the bags produced by the Co-op are safe for the environment.
He says they are “certified” to be used to package food scraps that are deposited in Calgary’s green carts.
Meanwhile, plastic bags and “biodegradable bags” are the city’s biggest problem with its food and waste recycling program.
“Plastic bags interfere with the composting process and break down into small pieces of plastic that will contaminate the final compost,” Howland said.
“We encourage Calgarians to use only certified compostable bags in their green carts and to recycle plastic bags by grouping them together in a single plastic bag (don’t forget to tie it closed) and placing them in their blue carts.”
Keelor ​​says the city has the equipment to break down the bags and the compost they contain without problems.
The ECCC, in a statement issued to CTV News on Monday, said that while the bags offer some environmental benefit, there is “no significant indication” that they can fully decompose in the natural environment.
The agency says more research needs to be done on their environmental impact before regulations on them can be changed.