New York-based Wegmans has stopped selling two designs of its reusable shopping bags: the green pea and holiday 2009 after preliminary testing on a limited number of bags suggested elevated levels of lead in these designs. The company claimed that no other designs of Wegmans reusable bags are affected.
Wegmans media relations director Jo Natale said that customers can continue to safely use both of these designs. “This is not a food safety or children’s health concern.”
“The eventual disposal of the bags is the only issue, from an environmental perspective.”
Wegmans has taken measures to let customers know that the bags should be returned prior to disposal – when they are no longer of use. Wegmans will replace the bag with another design and will properly dispose of the returned bag.
Wegmans Food Markets is a supermarket chain with stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia and Maryland. The company developed a line of reusable bags to help reduce the use of single-use grocery bags.