Wegmans Is Leading The Way In Sustainability
By Sam Lewis
Family-owned grocery chain becomes first retailer in FFRG
The American Chemistry Council (ACC) announced on Tuesday, Nov 12 that Rochester, NY-based family-owned grocery chain Wegmans has joined the council’s Flexible Film Recycling Group (FFRG). Wegmans is the first retailer to join the FFRG, which is a self-funded group within the ACC’s Plastics Division, committed to growth in the recovery of polyethylene film.
Sustainability and recycling are nothing new for Wegmans. The company with 83 stores in the U.S. has been collecting used plastic bags from its customers since 1994. Each year, Wegmans’ shoppers return nearly 1.5 million pounds of polyethylene film, in addition to the approximately 1.5 million pounds of its own shrink/stretch wrapped plastic from shipping pallets. The materials are recycled by Wegmans, which return to the stores in the form of the company’s 40 percent recycled-content grocery bags. “Recycling of plastic bags and film is one effective way to address environmental concerns,” says Jason Wadsworth, sustainability coordinator for Wegmans. “Because of our closed-loop system, bags and film that customers return for recycling at our stores are made into new Wegmans bags, not litter.”
Wegmans membership in the FFRG adds value to its commitment of sustainability. “From plastics recycling to greener store designs, Wegmans’ commitment to sustainability is widely recognized,” says Shari Jackson, director of FFRG. “As the first retail grocer member of the Flexible Film Recycling Group, the company will have valuable insights into programs to increase the recycling of plastic bags and wraps.” The FFRG is always working to increase the collection and recycling of flexible films, along with educating companies and consumers about recycling.
According to the latest “National Postconsumer Plastic Bag & Film Recycling Report,” totals for recycling postconsumer plastic bags and commercial shrink wraps climbed to 1 billion pounds in 2011. This marks an increase of 55 percent in six years. “While this is an important achievement, the FFRG believes more can be done to spur significant growth in plastics film recycling,” says Jackson. “This is why we’re working so determinedly to help grocers and retailers, which have the critical infrastructure for recycling plastic film, to maximize the collection of this valuable material by sharing tools, best practices and through consistent customer education.”
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