Environmentally conscious Georgia Holt got more than she bargained for when she wrote a passionate letter to 7-Eleven Chairman Michael Smith earlier this year, according to a blog posted on 7elevenstories.com.au on September 12, 2019.
According to the post, after witnessing the amount of 7-Eleven branded rubbish she found while regularly removing rubbish and litter from around her local creek, the 11-year-old, from Wattle Grove in Perth, WA called on the chairman and 7-Eleven to take action against plastic waste.
A call to action
In her letter, Miss Holt reportedly asked for 7-Eleven to consider the impact of single-use plastics and to consider improving their cup recycling program.
In response, 7-Eleven reportedly explained to Miss Holt its exciting plans to cut down on waste, particularly single-use plastic like straws and Slurpee cups, and coordinated the installation of a recycling point at Miss Holt’s local 7-Eleven.
Chairman visit
However, this wasn’t enough for Chairman, Mr Smith who decided to learn more about the situation in Wattle Grove and visited the creek, the local 7-Eleven store and also met with Miss Holt and her family.
“It meant the world to her,” said Miss Holt’s dad, Patrick Holt as he thanked Mr Smith for taking the time to visit. “Your support for her efforts is priceless and appreciated.”
Mr Smith responded: “They are great people. They were seemingly very surprised that the Chair was taking a personal interest. I said, ‘Not me, but us. We value our communities and our place in them.’”
7-Eleven sustainable initiatives
Some of the ways 7-Eleven are starting to make sustainable changes, include:
- The ‘Simply Cups’ partnership
- The #cuprescue program
- Free coffee with a reusable cup campaign
- Reusable products – Slurpee drink bottles and rCups
