Wegmans eliminating plastic bags in multiple Virginia counties

Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. plans to eliminate the use of plastic bags in multiple Virginia counties, according to WTOP News.

The supermarket plans to offer customers paper grocery bags for 5 cents each. 

Fairfax County’s plastic bag legislation, which enacts a five-cent tax on disposable plastic bags in stores, will go into effect on Jan 1. 

During the first year, supermarkets are allowed to keep 2 out of the 5 cents collected in each disposable bag purchase. It will decrease to 1 cent the year after. 

Arlington and Alexandria counties’ plastic bag tax legislation will go into effect in 2022 as well, according to WTOP. 

Wegmans packaging, energy, and sustainability merchant Jason Wadsworth told the news outlet that the company comes customers will adopt the use of a reusable bag when shopping. 

“By eliminating plastic bags and adding a charge for each paper bag, our hope is to incentivize the adoption of reusable bags, an approach that has proven successful for us in New York State and Richmond,” Wadsworth said. 

The supermarket chain also said the amount collected from its paper bag charge will be donated to local charities and food banks. 

Wegmans has introduced the use of reusable bags since 2007, already eliminating the use of plastic bags at its Richmond, Va., branch supermarkets in 2019, WTOP reported. 

Fairfax County Board Chair Jeff McKay said in September that environmental issues are concerns the counties have, WTOP noted. 

“Environmental issues like pollution and water quality don’t respect political or geographic boundaries. They are shared concerns that affect all of us equally,” McKay said.