ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WKBW) — Wegmans will stop using plastic bags at all of its stores by the end of the year, the Rochester-based grocery company announced on Thursday.
The company already eliminated plastic bags from all of its New York State stores, as well as several locations in Virginia, Massachusetts and Maryland. In all, 61 stores so far have made the switch to reusable or paper bags.
Through the rest of the year, Wegmans says it will take a "phased approach" to removing single-use plastic bags from the remaining 45 stores throughout the second half of 2022. Any new stores opening will do so without a singlue-use plastic bag option for shoppers. The next stores to see plastic bags eliminated are in New Jersey, where a plastic bag ban takes effect May. The Garden State has nine Wegmans locations.
Wegmans will use the model with which New Yorkers are familiar at all of its stores— selling reusable bags or charging five cents per paper bag. The company says this model has led to 75-80% of shoppers opting for reusable bags or no bag at all. The remaining 20-25% pay for paper bags.
