SUSTAINABILITY IN C-STORES: CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES
That environmental awareness at the gas station extends to expectations inside the convenience store, with consumers believing that c-stores should be resource-efficient (38% of respondents) and brands and consumer-packaged goods (CPG) companies should use sustainable packaging (34%), the survey finds. “The data is clear,” said Maryann Michela, senior director of PDI Technologies. “Between these statistics and the regulatory conversations that are happening in our industry, there are more compelling reasons than ever for retailers and brands to understand and act upon consumer sentiment toward sustainable businesses.” And the rise in consumer demand for sustainable business practices is not just in the United States.
“The data is clear. Between these statistics and the regulatory conversations that are happening in our industry, there are more compelling reasons than ever for retailers and brands to understand and act upon consumer sentiment toward sustainable businesses.”
Collins opportunities convenience-store retailers can take advantage of to mitigate risk when it comes to sustainability measures and waste solutions. offered Collins listed a variety of solutions, including commercially compostable packaging, recycling on-site and building efficiency. “Refrigeration and lighting make up more than 75% of electricity consumption in convenience stores and offer significant opportunities for saving energy and money,” he said. SHOPPING HABITS Implementing sustainable solutions is nothing new for many convenience-store chains, including global convenience-store conglomerate Seven & i Holdings Co. Ltd., the parent company of 7-Eleven Inc., Irving, Texas. Since 2019, the c-store chain has implemented Green Challenge 2050, which is a food- sustainability roadmap that has a plan to reduce food waste by 50% in 2030 and 75% in 2050.
CUSTOMER PERCEPTION
With customers indicating they care about the products they buy, and the environmental impact, there’s much to consider for c-store operators, in- cluding plastic products and packag- ing, and the transition from single-use plastics to reusable alternatives, Bren- dan Collins, a partner on the environ- mental team in Ballard Spahr LLP’s Philadelphia offices, told audience members at CSP’s 2024 Risk Manage - ment and Captive Insurance Forum in July in Schaumburg, Illinois. In his presentation Environmental and Plastics Regulations: Preparing for Sustainability Initiatives, Collins laid out the upcoming regulatory changes and issues of concern, including plastic pollution, microplastics and more. “There is a renewed focus on plastics, especially on the state level,” Collins said. With new litigation from state attorney general offices beginning to increase regarding these issues,
—MARYANN MICHELA, PDI TECHNOLOGIES
“Whether it involves more innovative checkout experiences, online delivery options, or sustainable business practices—to name just a few areas— consumer sentiment continues to influence the convenience retail experience across the globe,” said Sid Gaitonde, president of enterprise productivity for PDI Technologies.
SUSTAINABILITY OUTLOOK 2025 30
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