Summer travel is heating up and Americans are making plans to hit the open road to enjoy time off with family and friends.
According to a recent survey from the American Automobile Association, approximately two-thirds of American families will travel this summer, and just over half of them will do so by car. Anticipation of lower gas prices this summer adds to the appeal of car trips, but today’s auto travelers are also more mindful of the impact of their activities on the environment.
Fortunately, companies like 7-Eleven are leading the way in offering innovative solutions aimed to help consumers mitigate the negative environmental effects of car travel, giving them a chance to make a difference.
Through a program called RENEW, 7-Eleven calculates tailpipe carbon emissions and offsets those emissions through local and global carbon reduction projects, including reforestation and tree plantings.
“As a brand 7-Eleven has committed to supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, specifically goal no. 7 and no. 11. These goals center around providing more sustainable energy for consumers and giving back to our local communities. That’s why we introduced the 7-Eleven RENEW program and why it is so important,” says Jason Murray, 7-Eleven Vice President of Operations for the Pacific Northwest. “We’ve made sustainability an easy option for our customers. By simply choosing to pump at a 7-Eleven RENEW location, drivers are proactively reducing their carbon impact by up to 30 percent.”
RENEW launched in 2017 and recently reached a milestone of offsetting more than 150 million gallons of fuel. In terms of carbon impact, that equates to powering more than 5.2 million homes’ electricity for a day.
“What 7-Eleven is doing is an example of a community-minded business trying to help solve a very difficult problem,” says Sharon, a 7-Eleven customer and a teacher in Tracy, California.
Community engagement is a cornerstone of the 7-Eleven RENEW program, which supports projects in collaboration with local and national nonprofit organizations. The Plant it Forward promotion, available at 658 locations, is an example of 7-Eleven’s partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation. Through Plant it Forward, 7-Eleven supports tree planting and invites customers and community members to dedicate a tree to friends or family members.
“We expect to see RENEW grow significantly this year. We want to ensure customers know that when they pull into a 7-Eleven RENEW location to pump their fuel, they are doing more than just pumping fuel. They are making a difference,” Murray says. “We are proud of the RENEW program and the customers who participate because we are working together to save our environment locally and globally.”
For more information and to find 7-Eleven RENEW locations, visit 7-ElevenRenew.com.
