SpursReport.com - H-E-B, Eva Longoria Parker are encouraging people to go ‘green’

Tuesday, March 31, 2009
H-E-B, Eva Longoria Parker are encouraging people to go ‘green’
San Antonio Business Journal

H.E. Butt Grocery Co. (H-E-B) and actress Eva Longoria Parker have produced a new 30-second commercial that encourages shoppers to become more environmentally conscious.

The commercial, which will debut on Wednesday, April 1, features the Desperate Housewives star giving reasons why it is important to recycle. H-E-B produced the spot as part of its Earth Day campaign. The commercial will run throughout the month of April. According to the campaign, H-E-B’s recycling efforts already save almost 2 million trees a year. And when customers use just one reusable shopping bag when buying groceries, it replaces six plastic bags, according to H-E-B.

H-E-B sells a line of reusable bags to encourage people to forego having groceries packed in plastic bags. During this campaign, customers also will be able to buy a limited-edition Eva Longoria Parker reusable bag. The bags will sell for $1.49 at H-E-B stores in Texas through April 30, 2009.

“We believe that H-E-B’s continuous work to care for the environment not only makes us better neighbors — it makes us a stronger business,” says Cory Basso, H-E-B Group Vice President of Marketing and Advertising. “Promoting the reusable ‘green’ bags is just one small part of what H-E-B does for the environment, from minimizing our use of natural resources and minimizing wastes, to recycling, conserving energy and protecting the air quality.”

H-E-B allows customers to recycle their plastic bags at store bins and H-E-B also works to recycle alumninum, steel, oil, cardboard and computers at the company. H-E-B also invested in a system that reuses condensation from manufacturing steam equipment, saving 6.2 million gallons of water each year. In addition, H-E-B recycles its truck tires and the company’s stores in Kyle, Victoria and its store at U.S. Highway 281 and Evans Road will soon sell mulch made from recycled tires.

“The environment is very important to me and through various initiatives of my own and with partners like H-E-B, I work to educate people about what they can do to save the planet by using less energy, recycling and implementing ‘green’ business and personal practices,” says Longoria Parker, who is also the wife of San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker.

San Antonio-based H-E-B operates more than 300 stores in Texas and northern Mexico and has more than 70,000 employees. It is one of the largest food chains in the United States with more than $15 billion in annual sales and is the largest privately held company in Texas.

H-E-B, Eva Longoria Parker are encouraging people to go ?green? - San Antonio Business Journal: