As Part of Statewide Effort, All Three Montco Wegmans Locations Are Phasing Out Plastic Bags

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woman carrying groceries
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Wegmans, the New York-based grocery store, has enforced the ban of plastic bags in its Pennsylvania stores beginning on Sept. 22, writes Jennifer Shannon for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The Montgomery County Wegmans locations in Collegeville, King of Prussia, and Montgomerville will follow as directed.

Wegmans had begun to phase-out plastic bag usage in Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia. They aim to eliminate all plastic-bag usage in its stores by the end of the year.

The grocery-chain will charge five cents per paper bag, with proceeds going toward local food banks and the United Way.

Incentivizing shoppers to use bags from home by charging for the store’s paper ones is a strategy that has proven successful in Wegmans locations across the nation. Company data show that the nickel cost of a paper bag yields a 75–80 percent increase in post-payment customers tucking groceries in their own reusable bags or carrying out items with no bag at all. Both actions boost the chain’s sustainability efforts.

“Completing our transition out of single-use plastic bags across the company is a big celebration as we continue to expand our sustainability efforts and focus on doing what’s right for the environment,” said Jason Wadsworth, Wegmans category merchant for packaging, energy, and sustainability.

Learn more about Wegmans’ plastic bag ban in the The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Plastic bags are problematic for various environments and the animals that live in them.

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