A major supermarket chain, with locations in the Lehigh Valley, will eliminate plastic bags across the state by the end of the month. WDIY’s Sarit Laschinsky has more.
Wegmans announced Thursday in a release that beginning on Sept. 22, single-use plastic grocery bags will be removed from its 18 stores in Pennsylvania.
The company, which has several stores in the Lehigh Valley area, says the move marks the completion of its goal to eliminate these bags companywide by the end of this year.
According to the release, Wegmans’ goal is to shift customers to reusable bags, which the company called, “the best option to solve the environmental challenge of single-use grocery bags.”
Paper bags will continue to be available for five cents per bag, and the amount collected from that charge will be donated to each store’s local United Way.
In stores where plastic bags have already been eliminated, Wegmans said paper bags are used for 20-25% of transactions, while the remaining 75-80% use reusable bags, or no bags.
The company also says it has committed to reducing its in-store plastic packaging made from fossil fuels, along with other single-use plastics, by 10 million pounds by 2024.
(Original air-date: 9/8/22)