Wegmans drops plastic bags. What to do with your cat litter and more survival tips.

(Story originally published April 23, 2019)

Whenever shopping at the supermarket I intend to tote in some reusable bags. 

Sometimes I remember. Other times I don't. My husband, however, always returns home with numerous single-use plastic bags.

"We use them for everything," he says.

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Cat litter, diapers, trash can liners, wet swimsuit holders. The list goes on. We know we're not alone and will soon need to change our shopping habits.

A state ban of plastic grocery bags goes into effect March 1, 2020. Wegmans plans to phase out their bags later this year.

"It's going to be a tough transition, we know that," said Jason Wadsworth, Wegmans' packaging and sustainability manager. "We're trying to encourage people to use reusable bags, though, since they're the best option for the environment."

Wegmans said its phaseout of plastic bags is a nonfactor in its goal of reducing in-store plastic packaging made from fossil fuels and single-use items such as straws by 2 million pounds this year. The company said it hopes for an elimination of 10 million pounds in five years.

Since the start of 2019, Wadsworth said, the company already replaced plastic straws and coffee stir sticks with paper straws and stir sticks.

Here's the breakdown of many concerns about the change.

How will I discard my kitty litter and dog poop?

You can reuse other sorts of bags, such as empty potato chip bags, food storage bags bread bags and newspaper bags.

You could also buy plastic bags that are prepackaged or sold in bulk. Many retailers sell bags, some of them biodegradable, specifically designed for dog waste; those aren't affected by the ban.

Cat owners can also switch to flushable cat litter and skip the bagging process altogether.

What about grocery pickup?

Wegmans plans to use paper bags for grocery pickup and Instacart orders for no extra fee.

But can I still get some plastic bags at Wegmans?

Yes, there are exceptions to this law. Wegmans will still offer small bags for produce and bulk foods. They will also allow a smaller version of the current single-use bag at check-out lanes to carry uncooked meat.

There will not be any single-use bags offered in Wegmans' Market Cafe or pharmacy.

What about those plastic bag recycling bins at Wegmans?

Those bins will stay put. There are numerous types of plastic — besides single-use grocery bags — that can still be recycled.

Will this new policy also be at stores outside NY?

No. The change will only be in Wegmans' New York stores for now, but the company is not ruling out making the change to stores throughout the company.

Where can you get comparable plastic bags?

You can always buy new single-use plastic bags online (Amazon sells 1,000 bags for $27.85). Until single-use bags are phased out in New York, you can still get bags at other grocers and stores. Single-use bags from Target are rather sturdy.

Once the ban takes place, you can still get some single-use bags from restaurants or any of the other bags that are carved out from the ban

Where can I get reusable grocery bags?

Many grocery stores, including Wegmans, sell reusable bags for as little as 99 cents. Other reusable grocery bags can also be purchased at other stores or online but cost more. I've got a $20 three-pack of canvas totes from L.L.Bean. Company Thirty-One sells pricey but sturdy grocery totes. This set of five washable bags is $14 on Amazon.

Wegmans is also looking into offering different sizes of reusable bags.

Stockpiling?

With an end in sight, many people plan to start saving as many single-use bags as possible before stores stop offering them. 

Can I just reuse my single-use plastic bags?

No. Besides the fact that the reused bags may already be torn and not completely clean, Wegmans is also discouraging customers from doing that because bag stands are being altered to accommodate totes and paper bags.

When will this change occur?

Wegmans said they plan to make the change by the end of 2019. Wadsworth said he expects it to take place before the holidays, including Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

New York state will require the change by March 1, 2020. It applies to any store that is required to collect sales tax, including groceries, retailers and small businesses. 

VFREILE@Gannett.com

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Recycling event

All Wegmans stores will host its annual Earth Day recycling event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Bring in single use bags and receive a coupon for a new reusable bag.