Wegmans to halt use of plastic bags by the end of 2022

Wegmans announced Thursday that all stores would be eliminating the use of plastic bags by the end of this year.

The company will continue to provide paper bags – at 5 cents apiece – in hopes of encouraging more customers to bring their own reusable shopping bags.

This new effort is expected to save 345 million single-use bags from going into circulation this year, according to a press release from Wegmans.

Wegmans said in the release that the company has already halted the use of plastic bags in their stores in New York following a statewide ban.

All proceeds made from paper bags will go to benefit each store's local food bank, officials said.

The harmful effects of plastic on the environment has been well-documented. The Environmental Protection Agency says that plastic waste does not biodegrade, but rather "breaks down into tiny pieces known as microplastics which are nearly impossible to clean up once they are in the environment."

Those microplastics contain toxic chemicals that pose a risk for animals or humans that may consume them.