2023 Impact Awards winner: 7-Eleven Canada

“7-Eleven Canada believes that partnership and innovation are key to tightening the gaps between production and consumption in order to minimize food waste and divert from landfill," says Jeff Monachello, director of operations. 

In January 2023, the company partnered with Too Good To Go (TGTG), a social impact company dedicated to fighting food waste. By leveraging its mobile app, customers are offered Surprise Bags of favourite foods at a discount (about one-third of regular prices). It’s an initiative that helps address a worldwide problem. A staggering 40% of global food goes to waste, responsible for 10% of greenhouse gas emissions.

In the context of rising inflation, the program improves on affordability and stretches the customer’s dollar. The goods in the Surprise Bag are items that have not sold that day, including wraps, fruit salad, sweet treats, yogurt, milk, juice and healthy snacks.

The TGTG program helps 7-Eleven achieve its sustainability goals on preventing food waste, lowering CO₂ emissions, and enabling staff and customers to make a positive impact on the environment. The pilot program has grown from 37 locations to 359 across Canada.

From the beginning of this year to May 15, the TGTG program at 7-Eleven Canada stores had already saved 26,515 meals and 66,300 KG of CO2—the equivalent of 40 flights from Toronto to Tokyo.