Wegman’s will eliminate plastic bags in all of its 106 supermarkets by the end of 2022.  Paper bags will be available at a cost of five cents.  The fee is intended to promote the use of reusable  bags by shoppers and all proceeds will be donated to local food banks.  To date, 61 Wegman’s stores have eliminated plastic bags and paper will be phased in based on availability. The Company shoppers’ estimates that by 2024, it will be able to eliminate 10 million pounds of single use plastic annually from changes in packaging material.

Jason Wadsworth, Category Manager for Packaging and Sustainability, stated, “We understand shoppers are accustomed to receiving plastic bags at checkout. Losing that option requires a significant change.”  He added, “We are here to help our customers with this transition as we focus on doing what is right for the environment.  As we have encountered plastic bag legislation in numerous markets, we have learned that there is more we can do and a bigger impact we can make together with our customers.”