Why I Love HEB, Part 2

As if HEB had not given me enough reason to adore it already, it recently reaffirmed my devotion to the grocery store. Sometimes, it is the small things that count the most. As I was waiting to check out at HEB one afternoon, I noticed a green bag hanging on a hook to the right of the cashier's area. Upon closer inspection, I saw that it was a reusable grocery bag. "Neat, " I thought and looked to see how much the purchase of one would set me back. 99 cents, something I think I can spare. So, on the conveyor belt it went.

When I got home, I noticed a small insert in the bottom of the bag that explained HEB's environmental stance. Since I cannot find the verbiage on HEB's website, I will write what the bag's insert says,

"Doing Our Part to Take Care of Texas
We believe that our work to care for the environment not only makes us better neighbors - it helps us serve you better. By being energy efficient and conserving natural resources, we're not only helping the planet, we're also creating savings we can pass on to you in the form of everyday low prices.

"Doing Your Part
We know many of our customers share the same concern for the environment as we do. By purchasing and using reusable shopping bags, you can make a difference, one trip at a time.

"About Your Bag
This bag is made of non-woven polypropylene, which is tough, strong, water resistant, and recyclable. It is the same type of material typically used for yogurt containers, syrup bottles, straws and medicine bottles."


And, though it may have looked small on the shelf, the bag opens up to about an 12x12x12 bag. On my last grocery trip, one bag held:

3 46-ounce V8 VFusion Tropical Orange bottles
2 Yoplait Fridge Packs
1 Kashi Frozen Entree

And it could have held more. It even has a flap on the inside that you can tuck a glass bottle, celery stalk, or loaf of bread in so it does not tip over or get squished. With two of the HEB bags, and one Half Price Books bag, I was able to buy about a month's worth of groceries and only use 3 plastic bags. In that past that number would have been 12-15 plastic bags. If I have not given you reason enough to go buy one or two already, here is a final selling point - the handles on the HEB green bags will not tear away and the bottom will not fall out.

Also, check out everything HEB is doing to promote environmental awareness to both their customers and as a company. I think they are doing a wonderful job at being pro-active and paving the way for other stores locally and nationally to look at how they can be environmentally conscious. What HEB is doing is helping them as a company keep costs down through checking air filters and seals, updating equipment and structures in their older stores to be more cost and energy efficient, and much more. What is phenomenal about this is that that focus as a company will seep into the day-to-day lives of its employees and customers as they assess their places of work and home for cost and energy savings. And all it cost was 99 cents.