H-E-B will celebrate Earth Day by giving away 185,000 colorful reusable bags to customers across Texas. On Sunday, April 22, customers can visit any H-E-B in Texas to receive their complimentary Earth Day bag, which was designed by a Texas artist and made from at least 80 percent recycled plastic bottles.
Recognized for its commitment to sustainable business practices and environmental stewardship, H-E-B will have the eco-friendly bags available for customers, starting at 1 p.m. on April 22, until supplies last. The first bag is free, and shoppers have the option to purchase additional Earth Day bags for $1.50 each.
For the second year in a row, Texas artist Becca Borrelli, a former elementary school teacher who illustrates adult coloring books, designed the Earth Day bag. The design resembles pages from a coloring book and features the state of Texas surrounded by illustrations of environmentally friendly activities.
“H-E-B works year-round to educate our customers about ways to care for our environment – from recycling at home and donating to environmental nonprofits to grocery shopping with reusable bags,” said Julie Bedingfield, H-E-B Public Affairs Manager. “We’re pleased to share these colorful bags with our customers, and we hope it inspires them to make positive decisions that benefit our environment, making everyday Earth Day.”
Last month, H-E-B launched a donation campaign to benefit EarthShare of Texas, a nonprofit that supports more than 70 respected environmental and conservation groups. Through May 1, customers can choose to donate $1, $3 or $5 at checkout. Over the past decade, shoppers have raised $800,000 through the donation campaign.
H-E-B and the Environment
H-E-B is committed to business strategies and sustainable practices that continually improve the company’s use of natural resources, minimize waste, conserve energy and water, and protect air quality.
In 2017, H-E-B diverted more than 461 million pounds of waste from landfills by recycling materials including cardboard, plastics, office paper, food waste, metals and truck tires. Our Organic Diversion Programs have diverted more than 94 million pounds of organics from the landfill to compost, animal feed and landscaping applications.
In the past five years, H-E-B’s transportation fleet has improved fuel economy more than 14 percent by investing in new technologies and adopting more sustainable operation practices. By embracing these fuel-saving strategies, H-E-B was the only Texas-based company to serve as a charter partner in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) SmartWay Transport Partnership, a program formed to reduce greenhouse gasses and other harmful emissions from the heavy-duty sector.
New stores are either LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building certified or built adhering to those strict standards. In 2014, the H-E-B at Mueller store in Austin received the U.S. Green Building Council® LEED Gold® certification and, a year later, received the Austin Energy® Green Building (AEGB) 4-Star Rating, making it the first grocery store in Austin to receive both awards.
H-E-B is a two-time winner of the Texas Environmental Excellence Award, the state’s highest environmental honor.
