Wegmans Food Markets, a US supermarket chain with stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, and Massachusetts, has announced its decision to remove health and beauty products that contain polyethylene microbeads from all its 88 store locations.

Wegmans is not reacting to the recent ban voted by the US Congress that will be applicable in July 2018 for retail sales, but to an Erie County (New York) microbead ban that will take effect in February 2016. Wegmans has 11 stores in the Erie County/Buffalo area.

Wegmans store in Pittsford (NY)

We feel this is the right thing to do for the communities we serve,” says Mary Ellen Burris, Wegmans senior vice-president of consumer affairs. “It falls under our sustainability mission to make responsible decisions that positively impact people, business and the environment.

Wegmans Non-Foods Quality Assurance Manager Betsy Crater conducted an in-house inventory to confirm that no Wegmans brand products contain microbeads. She also identified the national brand health and beauty items with microbeads sold at Wegmans stores. Products include some popular pore cleansers, body scrubs, acne washes and toothpastes, and account for a small percentage of overall personal care sales.

Makers of these items are already in the process of reformulating ingredients to phase out microbeads. While some products may be reformulated quickly, some skin care formulas may take up to a year,” according to Jessi Chichelli, a Wegmans category merchant who oversees health and beauty products.

We know customers are loyal to their skincare products, so we want to help them during this transition. We’re also seeing a lot of growth in natural skincare lines as customers are increasingly aware of the environmental impact from what they put on and in their bodies,” she adds.