Sobeys Inc. unveils parking lot paved with plastics

New Sobeys in Timberlea unveils one of Canada’s first parking lots paved using post-consumer plastics diverted from local landfills. PHOTO: Sobeys

Sobeys says the amount of recycled plastics used in the mixture is the equivalent of more than 6 million plastic checkout bags.

The grocer further explains that this approach to plastics reduction and reuse follows its commitment to remove plastic grocery bags from all Sobeys grocery stores by the end of January 2020, a change that will take 225 million plastic grocery bags out of circulation at Sobeys’ 255 locations across Canada each year.

Over the past four months, Sobeys Inc. and Crombie REIT, developer and property manager for the Sobeys Timberlea site, have worked directly with local business Goodwood Plastic Products to research and develop the new asphalt pavement mixture.

In addition, Goodwood Plastic Products provided the recycled plastics lumber used for Sobeys’ Ultimate Picnic Table, which was unveiled on the Halifax waterfront late last month and diverted 60,000 single-use plastic bags from local landfills. The new Sobeys Timberlea store also has a picnic bench made from Goodwood Plastic Product’s recycled plastics lumber onsite.

Related: Sobeys benches divert 720,000 plastic bags from landfill

“As a company, we are proud of our Nova Scotia roots, that’s why we’re especially thrilled to continue growing our store network right here in our home province while finding unique ways to innovate locally and drive sustainability,” said Vittoria Varalli, vice-president, Sustainability, Sobeys Inc., in a statement. “The post-consumer plastics parking lot and picnic bench out front is one more way we are doing our part to integrate sustainability and innovation into our business. Projects like this represent the changes we all want to see — reduced single-use plastics, more reuse and increased recycling of plastic waste.”