IRVING, Texas—7-Eleven has opened its 77,711th store, according to a news release. Additionally, the convenience retailer has partnered with Plastic Bank to extract plastic from the environment.
“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,'' said Joe DePinto, 7‑Eleven Inc. 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."
Last December, 7‑Eleven collaborated with Plastic Bank to extract 140 metric tons of ocean-bound plastic from the environment in December 2021, which is equivalent to seven 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.
In addition to preventing ocean plastic, 7‑Eleven plans to cut its carbon emissions and food waste by 50% by 2030. The company is 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.
Recently, 7-Eleven introduced a subscription service, offering free delivery, products and rewards. The 7NOW Gold Pass is available for $5.95 a month, and subscribers with a basket subtotaling at least $10 will receive additional benefits including the option to select a free product, such as a free small Slurpee drink. If subscribers are also a member of 7-Eleven’s reward program 7Rewards, they will earn double the rewards when they order delivery using the 7NOW Gold Pass service.
The company also appointed Ken Wakabayashi as the co-CEO of 7-Eleven International, and 7-Eleven also announced that Joe DePinto, chief executive officer; Chris Tanco, executive vice president and chief operating officer; and Stan Reynolds, executive vice president and chief financial officer, along with Wakabayashi, will serve on the 7IN board of directors.