Wegmans announced today that it will be eliminating plastic bag use company wide by the end of 2022, with the goal of shifting all customers to reusable bags.
Wegmans will incentivize the use of reusable bags by charging five cents per paper bag, according to a press release by the company.
“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,” said Jason Wadsworth, Wegmans category merchant for packaging, energy, and sustainability. “As we’ve encountered plastic bag legislation in numerous markets, we’ve learned there’s more we can do, and a bigger impact we can make, together with our customers.”
Wegmans currently has one MoCo location at 20600 Seneca Meadows Pkwy in Germantown, and a second store planned for Rockville.
Latest on the Rockville location from a March 22 update:
Two additional construction cranes have been erected at the Twinbrook Quarter site. The second crane went up on February 27 and the third a couple weeks later. The site will include Montgomery County’s second Wegmans location. All of the work will be done within the confines of the site, so no road closures are necessary.
The second crane is located on the northwest corner of the construction site, along Route 355. The third crane is located on the east side of the site, mid-block along the future Chapman Avenue. The first crane is located within the site, on the corner of Halpine Road and Route 355.
Foundation work has also started. Crews started pouring the foundation for the first building, starting at the bottom of the underground garage in February. This work will continue for “quite a while” according to Twinbrook Quarter website.
Excavation of the site will continue for until the end of March or so.
The Wegmans and surrounding new development will be right next to Twinbrook metro– occupying the former home of Pizza CS, Hooters, Fuddruckers, Salvation Army, and more. It is not expected to be completed until late 2024.
Featured photo courtesy of Brian Curtis.