7-Eleven Accelerates Sustainability Efforts to Address Social and Environmental Issues

7-Eleven Inc. has once again hit a major milestone with 77,711 7-Eleven stores worldwide. As the world’s largest convenience chain, 7-Eleven also is committed to using its global scale to make a difference.

“Since the inception of convenience retailing with the first 7-Eleven store in Dallas, 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.”

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 with the purchase of basic family necessities such as groceries, cooking fuel, school tuition and health insurance.