When our co-founders launched Upside almost a decade ago, they had a mission to make an impact on the communities around us.

We believe in the power of our business to change the world for the better, and that guides our everyday decisions. We see H-E-B making decisions with that in mind, too.

In line with our mission to advance the economic power of people living and working in the real world, Upside helps both retailers and consumers get more out of each transaction. Plus, we drive initiatives that put us on a path to a more sustainable future for all.

Upside’s sustainability program

Since our founding in 2016, Upside has committed 1% of all our revenue to sustainability initiatives related to our areas of operation. 

The United States Department of Agriculture estimates that one in six Texan households struggled to put food on the table in 2023. At the same time, the USDA estimates that up to 40% of our food supply goes to waste, ending up in landfills that release harmful greenhouse gases. 

We see H-E-B doing its part — donating 33 million pounds of food to food banks and repurposing 84 million pounds of food into animal feed and compost in 2024. That’s impactful work that does real good for our planet.

We’re aligned with your mission, and we’re already taking action. As more restaurants and grocers join Upside, we’re fighting food waste by committing a portion of our revenue from these transactions to food rescue non-profits. Since 2020, Upside users have helped rescue nearly 4 million pounds of food — and with major growth ahead, we’re just getting started. 

Additionally, Upside donates to causes addressing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Since 2016, we pledged to offset 4.4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, which is like taking more than 950,000 cars off the road for a year. This work is especially impactful in Texas, where cleaner air is a priority. 

To date, we have supported wind-based power generation, wastewater treatment, and hydroelectric projects worldwide that generate offsets verified by the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) or certified under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

Together, this food rescue and carbon offsetting work puts Upside on the path to become a carbon negative company that makes meaningful contributions to global sustainability efforts. 

Our future commitments

Moving forward, we will continue to enable Upside users to address GHG emissions and food waste, just like we have done to date. We plan to empower our users to take action by enabling them to further offset their own emissions, and assist users in the transition to clean energy.

We’re incredibly proud of all we’ve done to date, and it’s exciting for us to partner with retailers who share our values — we can have a greater impact working together. Our mission shines through in everything we do, and we want companies like H-E-B to come on this journey with us. Once our teams start to build together, the possibilities are endless. 

Get in touch with our team to learn how we could partner and improve lives even more for Texas.