CANTON Mass. Dunkin’ Brands Inc. detailed plans Wednesday for a number of environmentally focused initiatives within its Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins quick-service franchise chains.
The planned efforts include the construction of a restaurant in St. Petersburg, Fla., that would meet the standards of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program; the modification of current store designs to make them more ecofriendly; and the sponsorship of carpooling and recycling programs for the public.
An environmental consulting firm has been hired to advise the franchisor on several of the initiatives, said Stephen J. Caldeira, chief public affairs officer and executive vice president of global communications for Dunkin’ Brands.
“In 2008 we are laying the groundwork for a significantly expanded environmental program going forward,” Caldeira said. “These are cross-functional initiatives that involve many areas of the company, including supply chain, development, operations and marketing as well as in our corporate social responsibility department.”
Caldeira said the LEED-certified pilot store in Florida would be constructed during the second half of the year. Structures bearing the LEED designation are popularly known as green buildings.
The environmental consulting firm, which Dunkin’ Brands declined to identify, was hired to advise the company on making changes to its “present building specifications with the least amount of impact to franchisees,” Caldeira said.
Dunkin’ Brands has issued a brochure across its two chains that details “a program developed by a committee composed of franchisees and corporate executives,” Caldeira continued. It outlines “changes franchisees can make in their stores to be more energy-efficient while saving money,” he said.
Furthermore, Caldeira noted, the company is conducting a “systemwide audit of our supply chain’s environmental footprint to determine our baseline and to prioritize potential initiatives.”
In addition, he said, Dunkin’ Brands is sponsoring two programs that encourage greener behavior on the part of consumers: NuRide, a “ride-sharing program” based in Connecticut, and RecycleBank, an initiative under way in Worcester, Mass. NuRide participants earn points for carpooling and thereby saving fuel and cutting emissions. The points can be redeemed for items at Dunkin’ Donuts units.
RecycleBank measures the amount of materials that Worcester-area residents provide for recycling. The participants earn points that can be redeemed for Dunkin’ items as well.
Dunkin’ Brands’ system includes about 7,300 franchised Dunkin’ Donuts units and 5,840 Baskin-Robbins units.
