CANTON, Mass., May 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Dunkin' Brands
Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: DNKN), the parent company of Dunkin' Donuts
and Baskin-Robbins, today published Broadening Our Horizons,
the company's third Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report.
The report outlines Dunkin' Brands' ongoing commitment to
sustainability efforts to meet the needs of its franchisees,
employees and guests, while serving local communities responsibly
and protecting the interests of the planet. Broadening Our
Horizons details the progress Dunkin' Brands has made in the
past two years against goals outlined in the company's 2012 CSR
report, Focused on Sustainable Solutions, and sets new goals
for the future in the areas of sustainable building, packaging,
product sourcing, nutrition, supporting local neighborhoods and
more.
Key highlights of Broadening Our Horizons include:
- Sustainable Building: In 2014, Dunkin' Donuts launched
DD Green Achievement™, a program designed to help U.S. Dunkin'
Donuts franchisees build sustainable, energy-efficient restaurants.
Dunkin' Donuts has set a goal of developing 100 new DD Green
Achievement restaurants by the end of 2016. Dunkin' Donuts also set
a goal to launch DD Green Achievement for U.S. Dunkin' Donuts
restaurant remodels by the end of 2015.
Dunkin' Brands will publish an interim progress report on DD Green
Achievement in 2016, including baselines for energy and water use,
reduction targets and achievements to date. The company has also
set a goal of increasing single-stream recycling rates at its
corporate headquarters in Canton,
Massachusetts by 15% by the end of 2016.
- Sustainable Sourcing: In 2014, Dunkin' Brands announced
a commitment to source only 100% sustainable palm oil in
the United States by 2016. Dunkin'
Brands will work with its suppliers and its franchisee-owned
purchasing cooperative to source palm oil that is 100% fully
traceable to the mill by the end of 2015, and to the plantation by
the end of 2016 for use in Dunkin' Donuts U.S. restaurants. To
further its commitment to ending deforestation, Dunkin' Brands also
plans to issue a global sustainable paper and pulp policy for
Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins by the end of 2016.
In 2015, Dunkin' Brands also announced new animal welfare
commitments in partnership with the Humane Society of the United States. Ten percent of all eggs
sourced for its breakfast sandwiches in the U.S. will be cage-free
by the end of 2016. Dunkin' Donuts will also map its international
supply chain to understand the feasibility of transitioning to 100%
cage-free eggs globally, and, based on this assessment, establish a
global target with interim deliverables towards this goal.
Additionally, Dunkin' Donuts will source only gestation crate-free
pork in the U.S. by 2022.
The report also highlights the 2014 launch of Dunkin' Donuts' new
30% Rainforest Alliance Certified™ Dark Roast Coffee, the brand's
first national launch of a certified product since the 2004 launch
of 100% Fair Trade Certified™ Espresso. Dunkin' Brands is committed
to increasing the number of certified products available to guests
in the coming years.
- Packaging: As part of Dunkin' Donuts' commitment to roll
out an alternative to foam, the company continues to examine every
commercially available cup and material. Dunkin' Donuts is
currently testing a double walled paper cup and a #5 recyclable
polypropylene cup in limited markets. Dunkin' Donuts' goal is to
establish a phased implementation plan and timeline for a
transition in the U.S. from foam by the end of 2015.
In 2010, Baskin-Robbins pledged to explore alternative materials
for its famous pink spoon, an iconic symbol of the brand. In late
2014, the company began transitioning the spoons in U.S.
Baskin-Robbins restaurants to a #5 recyclable polypropylene
plastic.
- Nutrition: Nutrition remains a key priority for Dunkin'
Brands, and the company is committed to offering great-tasting food
and beverages that meet many different dietary needs. By the end of
2015, Dunkin' Donuts will roll out new guidelines for its DDSMART®
menu of better-for-you choices, including calorie, sugar, sodium
and saturated fat thresholds. Dunkin' Donuts continues to work
toward goals to reduce the sodium content across its U.S. menu by
10% by December 31, 2015, and to
reduce the sugar content in its U.S. beverage portfolio by the end
of 2017. Baskin-Robbins will also test new smoothies with a reduced
amount of sugar and calories in the U.S. in 2015.
- Supporting Neighborhoods: Dunkin' Brands is passionate
about helping people, one neighborhood at a time. From 2011 to
2014, the company's franchisees donated more than $20 million to non-profit groups in the U.S.
alone. The Dunkin' Donuts & Baskin-Robbins Community Foundation
(DDBRCF) raised a record $3.2 million
in 2014 to support its mission of serving neighborhoods through
hunger relief, children's health and safety initiatives. These
results were driven in part by The DDBRCF's first in-store
fundraising program, which raised $540,000 with guest support.
The DDBRCF also expanded its national partnership with Feeding
America through a $1 million
commitment over three years, the largest donation in The DDBRCF's
history. Funds support Feeding America's Food Pantry and BackPack
program helping children and their families at local food banks
across the country. More details can be found in The DDBRCF's 2014
Neighborhood Impact Report which can be accessed here:
http://www.dunkinbrands.com/foundation.
"Broadening Our Horizons represents our progress in
sustainability efforts over the past two years, as well as our
commitment to our stakeholders to continue to do more in the
future," said Karen Raskopf, Dunkin'
Brands' Chief Communications Officer and Co-chair of The Dunkin'
Donuts & Baskin-Robbins Community Foundation. "We are proud of
our accomplishments, such as launching DD Green Achievement,
announcing plans to source 100% sustainable palm oil in the U.S. by
2016, committing to exploring the feasibility of going to 100%
cage-free eggs, and working with our franchisees to donate millions
of dollars to support our local communities. We also recognize
there is more to be done, and remain dedicated to addressing new
challenges to meet the needs of our employees, our franchisees, our
guests and our planet."
To download and read Broadening Our Horizons, or to
learn more about Dunkin' Brands' CSR initiatives, please visit
http://dun.kn/CSR2014Report.
About Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc.
With more than 18,900 points of distribution in nearly 60 countries
worldwide, Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: DNKN) is one of the
world's leading franchisors of quick service restaurants (QSR)
serving hot and cold coffee and baked goods, as well as hard-serve
ice cream. At the end of fiscal 2014, Dunkin' Brands' nearly 100
percent franchised business model included more than 11,300 Dunkin'
Donuts restaurants and more than 7,500 Baskin-Robbins restaurants.
Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc. is headquartered in Canton, Mass.
Contact:
Lindsay Cronin
Dunkin' Brands
781-737-5200
Lindsay.Cronin@dunkinbrands.com
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SOURCE Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc.