Soon, you won’t be able to use single-use plastic grocery bags at Wegmans in Pennsylvania.

Beginning, Thursday, Sept. 22, the grocery food chain will remove single-use plastic bags from its 18 Pennsylvania stores.

This move marks the completion of the company’s journey to eliminate such bags companywide by the end of the year.

“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 Wegmans spokesman Jason Wadsworth.

He said the journey to zero plastic bag use began in 2019 when Wegmans set out to eliminate plastic bags in their New York State stores ahead of the ban.

Paper grocery bags will continue to be available at Wegmans stores for a 5-cent charge per bag. But the goal is to shift customers to reusable bags, the best option to help the environment.

According to a statement, the money collected from the paper-bag charge will be donated to each store’s local United Way.

The paper bag charge has proven to be successful in the company’s other markets. The company said in stores where Wegmans has already eliminated plastic bags, on average, paper bags are used for 20 to 25 percent of transactions. That means the remaining 75 to 80 percent of transactions used reusable bags or no bags at all.

New Jersey has had a single-use plastic bag ban in place since May 4, 2022.

Jen Ursillo is a reporter and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach her at jennifer.ursillo@townsquaremedia.com

Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.

Never Forget: Notable 9/11 memorials in NJ

There are a number of memorials in New Jersey dedicated to remembering the lives of residents lost in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The sites range from gardens to parks and plaques to statues.

 

More From Beach Radio