To enhance our role as a positive steward of the environment, SEI is a member of the Retail Industry Leaders Association’s Retail Sustainability Initiative (RSI). RSI is an industrywide educational forum for the largest U.S. retailers. It brings its members together to share leading practices, identify future trends, benchmark with peers, and collaborate on common industry environmental social governance challenges. Beginning in 2021, SEI joined the Clean Energy Buyers Alliance (CEBA). CEBA is a membership association bringing together over 200 stakeholders from the commercial and industrial sector, nonprofit organizations, and energy and energy-service providers. Their vision and mission is to create a resilient, zero-carbon energy system where every organization has a viable, expedient, and cost-effective pathway to renewable energy.

SEI is committed to reducing energy consumption and improving efficiency and set a goal to reduce energy related CO₂e emissions from stores by 50% by 2030, compared with FY2013 levels. In FY2021, through its emission reduction measures, SEI reduced its CO₂e emissions by 147,600 MTCO₂e year over year from FY2020 and by 375,300 MTCO₂e from FY2013. SEI reduced CO₂e emissions by 27% from FY2013 to FY2021. This is equivalent to greenhouse gas emissions from approximately 80,000 passenger vehicles for one year.

SEI has adopted Honeywell Solstice N40 (R-448A) refrigerant as SEI’s standard for remote condensers supporting their refrigeration cases installed across the U.S. and Canada. Solstice N40 is the most widely accepted, lowest global warming potential (GWP), nonflammable replacement for R-404A in stores globally. Based on hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) technology, Solstice N40 offers GWP that is approximately 60% lower than legacy HFC refrigerants like R-404A. In addition, Solstice N40 also consumes less energy. In the U.S. and European supermarket trials, in comparison to R-404A, Solstice N40 demonstrated an average of 5% lower energy consumption in low-temperature applications.

SEI's LED lighting program is part of the company’s energy-efficient store design standard and is a significant contributor to the company’s CO₂ reduction goal. As of December 2021, more than 7,700 stores featured LED lighting, helping to reduce energy consumption in stores. In addition to their energy-efficient benefits, LED lights eliminate the use of hazardous materials, comply with local regulations to reduce light pollution, support store safety measures and enhance the customer shopping experience.

Heating and cooling efficiency is another effective measure SEI implements to decrease its overall energy consumption. Since 2008, more than 10,800 high efficiency HVAC units have been installed, enabling stores to achieve energy savings while maintaining a quality shopping environment.

SEI implemented energy management systems (EMS) in stores to monitor, control, and optimize performance of HVAC and refrigeration equipment. Currently, more than 6,900 stores have EMS installed — combining with the installation of energy-efficient HVAC units contributes to achieving energy savings. To reduce water consumption, we’re installing low-flow aerator faucets as part of our standard energy-efficient design plan for all new stores.

While maintaining the company's commitment to energy conservation projects, SEI is also focused on expanding its renewable energy initiative. Approximately 21% of electricity consumed by SEI is from renewable sources.

SEI has an agreement with TXU Energy to purchase 100 percent Texas wind energy for all its Texas stores located in competitive energy markets. With more than 10,000 wind turbines in the state, Texas ranks first in the United States for both installed and under-construction wind capacity and is home to four of the top 10 largest wind farms in the nation. In FY2021, SEI purchased more than 318,000 MWh renewable energy from TXU Energy and provided it to more than 860 stores in Texas. This wind energy program accounted for 47% of all 2021 renewable energy while providing significant operating expense savings.

In FY2020 SEI subscribed to a program to procure renewable energy for its Florida stores by utilizing large-sized solar power generation facilities developed, or currently under development, by two utility companies. (Florida Power and Light and Duke Energy). The FY2021 solar energy from these agreements yielded 92,800 MWh or 13.5% of all renewable energy consumed by SEI.

Additionally, in FY2021 the company entered into agreements for over 60,000 MWh of off-site wind energy in Illinois as well as community solar projects in Oregon which are expected to provide an additional 2,500 MWh of renewable energy in 2022.

Utility sponsored community solar is different from on-site solar where solar panels are installed directly on houses/buildings to generate power. It refers to local solar facilities developed and owned by the utility which are shared by multiple community subscribers who receive credit on their electricity bills for their share of the power produced.

In FY2020, SEI began procuring renewable energy from a pumped hydro storage facility for its stores in Virginia. The amount purchased in FY2021 was 30,900 MWh and powered the load for more than 140 stores.

SEI has always innovated to make things easier for customers, and that includes giving customers alternative fuel options. In 2021, the company announced its ambition to build at least 500 electric vehicle (EV) ports – compatible with multiple vehicle models – at 250 select U.S. and Canada stores.　With more than 31 ports installed at 17 stores thus far, there have been 2,800 customer charging sessions in 2021 with ~160,000 electric miles charged. While the industry-wide supply chain issues of 2021 added additional headwinds, new and expanded teams are now in place to accelerate installation plans and progress is expected to pick up in 2022 across Texas, Florida and the Pacific Northwest.

SEI understands that efficient use of water helps reduce the demands on our water supply and preserve an essential natural resource. To reduce water consumption, SEI utilizes low-flow aerator faucets as part of our standard energy-efficient design plan for all new stores.

SEI introduced a new, plant-based fountain straw, for cold dispensed beverages. The new straw material is derived from raw materials such as corn and may avoid up to 1 million pounds of petroleum-based plastic per year.

SEI’s plastic bag made from 40% post-consumer recycled plastic was recently rolled out nationally in the U.S. Using 40% recycled plastic content helps reduce SEI’s environmental footprint by reducing the consumption of raw materials, energy consumption and carbon emissions in processing, and the amount of consumer waste and plastic going into landfills. By switching to the 40% recycled plastic bag, SEI avoided approximately 500 tons of virgin plastic use per year.

Several markets in the U.S. and all markets in British Columbia have transitioned to paper carryout bags and eliminated single-use plastic bags entirely.

Furthering its efforts to use recycled material, SEI redesigned its fruit and salad containers to increase the use of Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) plastic. Both packages now contain 15% PCR. Using PCR packaging materials reduces waste and carbon emissions as compared to using virgin plastics.

In Canada, all sandwich packaging now uses recycled Canadian plastic in place of virgin plastic. SEI will continue to evaluate additional opportunities to increase PCR in packaging.

Seeking continuous improvements in packaging led to additional progress in eliminating or reducing plastic. SEI created a new, lighter-weight fountain cup that uses less plastic. The change may avoid up to 1.1 million pounds of virgin plastic annually. SEI also replaced its fresh food platter base with a lightweight paper corrugate alternative. In addition, the plastic lid for the platter was reduced in size.

SEI switched its hot dog box from kraft paperboard to thermo-mechanical pulp (TMP) board to reduce the volume of paper used. TMP-based paper can be produced using only 50% of the wood content of traditional kraft pulp paper. SEI replaced large plastic chicken wing box with paper corrugate alternative, eliminating up to 437,000 pounds of plastic annually. The new paper alternative is certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. In Canada, multiple food packaging replacements (hot dog, pizza, chicken burger & cookie boxes) have prevented more than 8 million hard-to-recycle black plastic boxes from the waste stream each year.

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are fluorine coatings applied to packaging surfaces to prevent moisture or grease from leaking through and are now considered harmful to the environment. SEI proactively began replacing affected packaging with alternatives like molded fiber clamshells.

SEI continued its long-standing support of hunger relief by holding multiple events for organizations working to address food insecurity. SEI has been working with Feeding America for 21 years, supporting its nationwide network of 200 food banks, which provide meals to more than 40 million people each year through national and local donations, volunteer efforts, and more. In FY 2021, SEI implemented a variety of initiatives in partnership with Feeding America® and Food Banks of Canada Highlights include:

• Donated $100,000 to Feeding America in honor of 7-Eleven’s 94th birthday on July 11*

• Franchisees and store associates, vendors and SEI contributed an additional $1.8 million to Feeding America through a number of in-store campaigns in 2021. This donation will help provide at least 18 million meals for families in need across the country.*

• 7-Eleven Canada and its customers donated more than 320,000 meals in 2021 to Food Banks Canada.

*$1 helps provide at least 10 meals secured by Feeding America on behalf of local member food banks

Through two separate outdoor food drive events at the Irving Store Support Center — the first in April and the second in November — the team donated more than 6,500 pounds of food. When combined with the company’s $20,000 cash contribution, as well as the additional funds many associates donated directly to North Texas Food Bank online, the total impact was 79,430 meals for local families.

Each year, the Red Cross responds to more than 60,000 disasters — including home fires, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes and wildfires. In 2021, SEI continued its support of the American Red Cross by renewing its annual membership in the American Red Cross Disaster Responder Program. SEI contributed $250,000 to help the Red Cross provide food, emergency shelter, relief supplies and comfort to people affected by disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires and countless other crises. As a Disaster Responder Program member, SEI ’s year-round commitment in advance of disasters helped prepare communities for disasters big and small and ensure the Red Cross could mobilize and respond immediately following disasters throughout the year.

For many years, Project A-Game (PAG) grants have helped 7-Eleven® (and now Stripes®) stores cultivate positive relationships within neighborhoods and provide youth development opportunities in education, fitness, safety and hunger relief. PAG grants are also instrumental in supporting the opening of new stores as they seek to foster community connections.

In FY2021, 434 grants were awarded to community organizations, totaling more than $390,000. From the Uniondale Little League in Uniondale, N.Y., to the Reeves Elementary School STEM program in Woburn, Mass., to many more programs across the country, PAG grants help to keep kids learning, growing and having fun all year long. Since its inception, 7-Eleven® and Stripes® stores have awarded more than 5,000 grants, a community investment of $3.5 million. Grants have been used to underwrite initiatives including math and science projects, tutoring, school supplies and sporting equipment to ensure children have the resources and inspiration they need to stay in school.

A tasty reward for staying cool – that’s Operation Chill®! Designed to enhance relationships between police and young people, Operation Chill allows law enforcement officers to reward kids they observe doing good deeds or exhibiting positive behavior with a coupon good for a free small Slurpee® drink at any participating U.S. 7-Eleven® store. In addition to recognizing great kids, Operation Chill provides opportunities for officers to establish a positive connection with kids in their neighborhood. The reasons for being rewarded coupons are varied — wearing a helmet while riding a bike, picking up litter, helping a neighbor or holding the door open — but the result is the same for every child: A free Slurpee® drink and a smile for a good deed.

Founded in Philadelphia in 1995 with a goal to give law enforcement officers a positive way to interact with children and teens, SEI's long standing community outreach program has grown to reach more than 1,100 local law enforcement agencies across the country. Through Operation Chill, SEI has donated more than 23 million free Slurpee drink coupons to law enforcement agencies in communities across the country. After 25 years, the Operation Chill program was completely reimagined into an all-new digital experience, complete with the launch of www.7-elevenoperationchill.com, where law enforcement agencies could easily register online, request Slurpee® drink coupons, and access best practices, tools and tips for making Operation Chill a success in their local communities.

The Operation Chill branding also received an updated logo and new social media assets, ensuring that the program continues to remain fresh, fun and engaging for the next generation of youth. As a result, participation from law enforcement agencies has increased (with almost 300 more agencies participating in 2021 than in previous years) and coupon redemption is up 70% over 2020.

As the recognized industry leader, we have an obligation to lead the way in diversity, equity and inclusion. It’s not only the right thing to do, it’s a business imperative. After all, customers and the neighborhoods we serve are highly diverse — and getting more so every day. As a customer-obsessed organization that challenges the status quo and recognizes that people drive our success, the 7-Eleven family of brands is committed to taking bold action to build an inclusive culture that champions diversity.

7-Eleven is an integral part of the diverse neighborhoods we serve. Our business model is based on the empowerment and success of small business entrepreneurs regardless of race, gender or background. To ensure an inclusive customer experience and workplace, we encourage Franchisees and team members to bring their unique perspectives, talents and contributions to work every day. We strive for equality and are committed to doing even more — because we know it’s the only way we can continue to grow and innovate, both as a brand and as a society.

In 2020, SEI created our Equality & Diversity Task Force and Roundtable. This dedicated team of leaders representing different areas within SEI is actively engaged in identifying ways to promote fairness across the organization so we can make an even greater impact in the communities we serve.

In FY2021, SEI celebrated and recognized diverse groups and individuals within SEI through a variety of programming:

- Monthly awareness and engagement campaigns highlighting multicultural commemoration months such as Black History, Women’s History, Pride, Asian American and Pacific Islander, Jewish American, National Arab American, Hispanic Heritage and Native American Heritage — just to name a few.

- Demonstrating SEI’s commitment to veteran-friendly organizations with events and content to honor the service and sacrifice of military heroes and their families. Developed in partnership with the SEI's Veterans Outreach Organization, highlights included Military Appreciation Month, Memorial Day, Rolling Remembrance and Veterans Day.

In FY2022, SEI deployed a national DE&I mandatory training for all leaders across the organization.

The latest “Take it to Eleven” integrated marketing campaign featured all-female low rider enthusiasts in Los Angeles biking to a 7-Eleven for Big Gulps. Designed to showcase the spirit of taking things up a notch, the campaign shined a light on our customers’ ability to take things one step further with ad spots featuring different cultures expressing themselves.