ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Wegmans shoppers returned 1.5 million pounds of plastic bags to the chain’s stores last year for recycling. The retailer also recycled 1.5 million pounds of the plastic shrink-wrap that’s used to keep cases on pallets, according to Mary Ellen Burris’ latest column. She is senior vice president of consumer affairs for Wegmans. Plastic bags are “hauled off to our central reclamation center and then to a company that pays us for them by the pound, and distributes them to manufacturers to make new grocery bags,” she said in her column. “We’ve accepted bags for recycling since 1994.” Seventy percent of the recycled shrink-wrap is used to make bread bags and plastic film used to protect garments after dry cleaning, while 30% is used to make components for backyard decks and highway guardrails.

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