7-Eleven Expands RENEW Reduced-Emissions Fuel Program
IRVING, Texas — 7-Eleven Inc. is building on its commitment to sustainability by expanding its RENEW reduced-emissions fuel program efforts.
The second phase of RENEW will launch in California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, Canada, in September at 142 additional fuel stores and 698 non-fuel locations for a total of 934. The convenience store retailer and its customers in Portland and Seattle, Ore., Seattle, and Madison and Milwaukee, Wis., have already planted 70,000 trees and offset 24,000 metric tons of carbon emissions.
"We’ve expanded the RENEW program to communities where customers particularly value sustainability," said 7-Eleven Executive Vice President and COO Chris Tanco. "As a result of customers’ 7-Eleven fuel purchases, citizens can expect reduced emissions as well as our commitment to plant more trees in the area. Our expansion to more stores in the U.S. and Canada allows 7-Eleven to continue to make a positive impact on the local communities in which we operate."
The RENEW reduced emissions program is a collaboration between 7-Eleven and GreenPrint, a company that promotes sustainability through the retail gasoline, fleet and consumer product industries.
Customers reduce emissions by purchasing the same fuel they have always pumped at 7-Eleven stores. GreenPrint calculates tailpipe emissions from gasoline sales to determine the amount to invest in certified carbon reduction projects. The goal is to help neutralize emissions in the atmosphere by up to 30 percent and support local nonprofit organizations and plant trees in conjunction with the Arbor Day Foundation.
For every gallon of gas purchased in the 7-Eleven RENEW program, an investment is made in reforestation, green-scape projects, wildlife protection and renewable energy projects designed to help reduce car emissions. The local, regional and global certified carbon reduction projects are designed to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Over the next year, more than 100,000 more trees will be planted across the United States in cooperation with the Arbor Day Foundation. In Canada, at least 10,000 trees will be planted with Tree Canada, according to a press release from 7-Eleven.
"Customers’ impressive response to the first phase of the RENEW program at 7-Eleven is a testament to how one organization can have a lasting impact on sustainability and a community’s environment," said Pete Davis, founder and CEO of GreenPrint. "7-Eleven continues to be innovators in the gasoline industry and an important partner in its Plant it Forward program."
As part of the RENEW program, more than 1,250 acres of trees have been planted. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one acre of forest absorbs six tons of carbon dioxide and puts out four tons of oxygen per year, enough to meet the annual needs of 18 people. The 70,000 trees planted through 7-Eleven’s RENEW reduced emissions fuel program represent 7,500 tons of carbon dioxide absorbed in this year alone.
Irving-based 7-Eleven operates, franchises and/or licenses more than 66,000 stores in 17 countries, including 11,800 in North America.