Irving, Texas — 7 Eleven, Inc., the world’s largest convenience chain, has once again hit a major milestone: 77,711 7-Eleven® stores are now open. The company is also ramping up its sustainability initiatives.
“Since the inception of convenience retailing with the first 7-Eleven store in Dallas, Texas, a lot has changed in how, when and where we do business,” says Joe DePinto, 7-Eleven’s president and chief executive officer. “As customers continue to redefine convenience, we redefine our approach to ensure that we are exceeding their expectations. Today, that means accelerating our sustainability efforts to address social and environmental issues that are important to our customers and the communities in which they live and work.”
In addition to the sustainability initiatives already taking place at the local level, 7-Eleven collaborated with Plastic Bank to extract 140 metric tons of ocean-bound plastic from the environment in December 2021 — that’s equivalent to 7 million single-use plastic bottles. Founded in 2013, Plastic Bank builds recycling ecosystems in under-developed communities to fight both plastic pollution in oceans and high poverty levels in developing countries. People who gather ocean-bound plastics receive bonuses which help them purchase basic family necessities such as groceries, cooking fuel, school tuition and health insurance.
“We’re excited to work with 7-Eleven, a company that shares our vision of creating regenerative impact,” says David Katz, founder and CEO of Plastic Bank. “Together, we have a unique opportunity to make a direct impact on the volume of plastic waste in our oceans, as well as the improvement of the livelihoods of collectors living in vulnerable communities.”
In addition to preventing ocean plastic, 7-Eleven has ambitious plans by 2030 which include cutting its carbon emissions and food waste by 50%, replacing plastic with eco-friendly materials in its packaging and sustainably sourcing food ingredients for its private brand products. 7-Eleven also continues to increase the supply of electricity from renewable energy projects and expand its electric vehicle charging options for customers as part of its efforts to reduce emissions. The retailer continues to develop its overarching environmental, social and governance (ESG) approach, while engaging with key stakeholders and value chain partners, like the partnership with Plastic Bank.
For information on 7-Eleven’s by-country efforts, visit https://vimeo.com/653430122 and https://corp.7-eleven.com/corp/sustainability.
Based in Irving, Texas, 7–Eleven operates, franchises and/or licenses more than 14,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada. Globally, the 7–Eleven trademark is represented in more than 77,000 stores in 18 countries and regions. In addition, 7–Eleven, Inc. operates Speedway®, Stripes®, Laredo Taco Company® and Raise the Roost® Chicken and Biscuits locations. For more information, visit www.7–Eleven.com.
Plastic Bank builds ethical recycling ecosystems in coastal communities and re-processes the materials for reintroduction into the global manufacturing supply chain. The collected material is reborn as Social Plastic® which can be easily reintegrated into products and packaging as part of a closed-loop supply chain. Plastic Bank currently operates in Haiti, Brazil, Indonesia, the Philippines and Egypt. For more information, visit www.plasticbank.com.
SOURCE: 7-Eleven, Inc.