Wegmans supermarkets will no longer offer plastic bags by the end of this year

Grocery store chain Wegmans announced it will shift from plastic bags to paper bags by the end of 2022.

The goal is to shift customers away from single use plastics and toward more environmentally friendly and sustainable options, like reusable bags. The store will incentivize customers to bring a reusable bag by charging 5 cents per paper bag.

“In stores where the company has already eliminated plastic bags, on average, paper bags are used for 20-25% of transactions, while the remaining 75-80% use reusable bags, or no bag at all,” the company said in a press release.

Plastic bags have been removed from 61 of 106 Wegmans locations, including all New York stores. The company will phase out plastic bags at remaining locations, including its State College store, throughout 2022.

The act will eliminate 345 million single use plastic bags a year, the company said in a press release.

“We understand shoppers are accustomed to receiving plastic bags at checkout and losing that option requires a significant change. We are here to help our customers with this transition as we focus on doing what’s right for the environment,” Jason Wadsworth, Wegmans category merchant for packaging, energy, and sustainability, said.

This story was originally published April 14, 2022 at 11:25 AM.