ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Seven in 10 American drivers (70%) say they dispose of trash from their cars while refueling, according to the results of a national consumer study by NACS on attitudes related to trash. And convenience and fuel retailers concur: 56% say that most trash in their trash cans at the fueling island is not generated from the store.

In early April, NACS conducted consumer and retailer surveys to gauge consumer and retailer perceptions about litter and trash leading up to Earth Day on April 22. Retailers say they spend more than $600 per store per month for recycling and trash collection programs, or about $1.3 billion industry-wide on an annual basis. The payoff is worth the expense, as convenience stores continue to grow their foodservice sales, which climbed 12.9% to $49 billion in 2016. The convenience store industry is also working with Keep America Beautiful to provide guidance to its members on best practices for recycling and trash management.

Consumers overwhelmingly say that store appearance is important when considering where to make a purchase: 84% of consumers fueling up say cleanliness of the store is an important factor when considering whether they go inside the store to make a purchase. Litter is also among the most highly cited reasons why people don't want a convenience store in their community. (Read more on this topic in the February NACS Magazine cover story, “Don’t Be Trashy.”)

And more than 9 in 10 (92%) say that the convenience store they visit the most often tends to be clean, compared to the 85% who say that convenience stores in general tend to be clean.

Other findings from the consumer survey include:

• 90% of consumers say that the convenience stores they most visit have sufficient trash receptacles on site.
• 67% of consumers say that it is important for convenience stores to also have recycling bins.
• 71% of consumers—and 87% of those ages 18-34—are interested in refillable mug programs that could help reduce trash.

“More than 160 million Americans visit convenience stores every day to address their immediate needs, whether to grab a quick snack, meal or drink or to refuel and clean out their cars. Effective trash and recycling programs are a critical part of how retailers serve on-the-go drivers, whether off the highway or in the neighborhood,” said Jeff Lenard, NACS Vice President of Strategic Industry Initiatives.

Other findings from the retailer survey include:

• 46% of convenience retailers say that they have hourly schedules to clean up trash/litter inside their stores
• 56% of retailers say that they pick up trash outside the store at least daily
• 46% of retailers say that they clean up trash beyond the property line
• 96% of retailers have trash bins at the pump and 78% have them at the entrance to the store
• 25% of companies provide recycling bins for customers and 8% host community recycling programs

“Keep your store and yard clean of litter. Your customers will respect your cleanliness and your business will grow,” said Jeff Armbruster of Armbruster Energy Stores (Grafton, OH).

In March, NACS published a Community Toolkit that provides ideas and examples of numerous community-focused areas that retailers of all sizes can implement, additional tips and information on trash and recycling. The toolkit provides examples of how retailers are making a difference in their communities by giving back, and includes dozens of links to groups already partnering with convenience stores, as well as examples of how stores are succeeding with these partnerships. Send us your stories about how your company celebrates Earth Day and what your company is doing to support the community.