This April, H-E-B is introducing additional measures intended to boost its year-round commitment to reduce waste and maximize recycling efforts in its business and in communities across Texas, according to a news release.

Throughout the year, H-E-B is committed to reduce its impact on the environment through waste diversion efforts along with several other programs to help conserve, the company says. Through its “Our Texas, Our Future” commitment, H-E-B says its mission is to increase awareness and education around sustainability efforts that help preserve land, water and air in Texas.

In time for Earth Month, H-E-B launched multiple ventures aimed at supporting plastic waste reduction among its customers. Since municipal recycling programs don't accept plastic bags and plastic film, H-E-B provides sustainable options for Texans looking for an alternative to the landfill, the release said.

H-E-B is now accepting retail plastic bags and other eligible plastic items from customers when picking up their curbside orders. Customers can bundle eligible plastic items and bring them during their scheduled curbside pickup time, and the H-E-B partner loading the car will collect them from the trunk to be recycled at H-E-B's recycling center.

Customers also can bring their bundled plastic items with them when shopping in-store. At the entrance of every H-E-B store, there are collection bins that customers can access to recycle plastic bags and other eligible plastic items. The retailer recently refreshed the look of its bins to make them more visible to customers when entering stores, according to the release.

H-E-B also updated the look of its plastic bags to better emphasize recycling language to help encourage customers to bring their bags and other plastic items to the store for recycling. Each bag now includes a How2Recycle label and language that reminds customers the bags are recyclable through H-E-B.

The grocer also displays sustainability messaging on signage in-store and at the shopping cart bays in the parking lots to encourage use of reusable shopping bags and adoption of recycling efforts among its customers.  

In 2022, H-E-B recycled 19 million pounds of plastics throughout its operation, including plastic from its collection bins, the release said. From the plastic collected from H-E-B stores and facilities, H-E-B makes products such as Field & Future by H-E-B trash bags and bags for recyclables, which are made from up to 65% and 30% post-consumer recycled plastic, respectively.

To further encourage recycling in communities, nearly 600 elementary schools in Texas are participating in H-E-B's annual School Plastic Bag Recycling Challenge, according to the release. Each year, students from hundreds of classrooms across Texas collect thousands of pounds of plastic bags for the contest. On Earth Day, H-E-B will announce the schools that collected the most plastic bags, with top schools in each region receiving H-E-B gift cards as prizes.

Related: Kroger raises funds during Earth Month

In support of community recycling efforts, H-E-B, in partnership with Keep Texas Recycling, has selected six projects across the state that will benefit from the 2023 H-E-B Community Recycling Grants. These grants support projects that focus on increasing access to recycling by funding infrastructure improvements, material resources and access to educational recycling materials, according to the release.

Grant funds totaling $157,000 will fund projects in Pharr, Ingleside, Cuero, Texas City, Burleson County and San Angelo, Texas, improving recycling access for nearly 350,000 people, the company said.

H-E-B says it continues to look for ways to reduce waste and plastic use across its business. For example, it is working to help improve training protocols for baggers, so they use fewer plastic bags at checkout. At its stores, restaurants and corporate locations, H-E-B uses biodegradable cutlery and straws, which are made from agave and other plant-based materials, instead of plastic. And the company continues to search for and experiment with sustainable packaging materials to help reduce plastic use and waste and increase recyclability for its H-E-B brand products, the release said.

H-E-B is also part of How2Recycle, a program that places clear, easy-to-read labels on products to let customers know if the packaging can be recycled, which parts are recyclable, and importantly, how to prepare material for recycling to reduce contamination.

The How2Recycle labels are already on more than 2,700 H-E-B branded items, which include H-E-B, Hill Country Fare, H-E-B Select Ingredients, H-E-B Organics, and Central Market products.