2Sustain

Last month, Dunkin’ Brands Group, Inc., the parent company of Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins, released Serving Responsibly, the company’s first CSR report. It offers a detailed overview of Dunkin’ Brands’ current CSR initiatives as well as key areas of focus for the future, such as nutrition, sourcing and packaging.

Serving Responsibly outlines Dunkin’ Brands’ ongoing commitment to grow its business in a sustainable manner, while taking into consideration the needs of guests, employees, franchisees, local communities and the environment.

Among the highlights, the report states that Dunkin’ Donuts was the first national brand to sell espresso beverages made exclusively with 100 percent Fair Trade Certified™ coffee, helping farmers and their families earn a better income and invest in the quality of their harvest. By the end of 2010, Dunkin Brands purchased nearly 26 million pounds of Fair Trade Certified^TM coffee and delivered approximately $1.9 million in premiums back to farming communities.

In addition, back in 2008, Dunkin’ Brands opened its first “green” restaurant, in St. Petersburg, Florida, which achieved the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification in 2010. This restaurant also boasts the following eco-friendly features: (more…)

Despite the sluggish economy and the rise in energy prices, Americans still want to “go green.”

New survey results from Harris Interactive show that more than three-fourths (77 percent) of those polled purchase green products or services. Among these, 57 percent said they bought green products because they believe they are better for the environment.

The survey, conducted in partnership with SCA Tissue USA, an 80 year old company that makes paper and hygienic products for office and restaurant use, suggests that sustainability is becoming more and more a part of everyday life –good news for companies that manufacture environmentally-friendly products or are considering adding them to their product lines.

The study also revealed that: (more…)

Earlier this month, Tim Hortons, Inc. released its first 2010 Sustainability and Responsibility Report, which includes information about the Company’s 2010 performance, compared to the commitments and goals outlined in the company’s 2009 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Tim Hortons is the fourth largest publicly-traded restaurant chain in North America based on market capitalization, and the largest in Canada, and the company has outlined several specific goals for the coming years. For instance, Tim Hortons is committed to: (more…)

McDonald’s Corporation is stepping up its commitment to a sustainable supply chain.

Last week, the company announced a new Sustainable Land Management Commitment (SLMC), which McDonald’s says will ensure the food served in its restaurants around the world is sourced from certified sustainable sources.

The SLMC requires that, over time, McDonald’s suppliers source agricultural raw materials for the company’s food and packaging only from sustainably-managed land.

Initially, McDonald’s will focus on the five raw materials that have the most potential sustainability impacts: beef, poultry, coffee, palm oil and packaging. As part of this commitment, McDonald’s is: (more…)

Businesses in Cleveland are out in front, pioneering what some are calling the “next green wave:” large-scale composting of food waste.

According to The Plain Dealer, several of the city’s major food-waste makers are spearheading an effort to keep tons of biodegradable food scraps out of landfills. They dump their food waste into biodegradable bags (often made out of potato starch), and then a composting company hauls them away to be turned into a high-quality soil additive. (more…)