Chick-fil-A released its 2022 Global Impact Report, highlighting the company's commitment to corporate social responsibility. The report emphasizes “care,” and this dedication to caring spans the categories of people, communities, and the planet. The report also emphasizes the company’s efforts to prioritize impacts through food, but Chick-fil-A has extended its investment in food by recycling various food waste.
By setting ambitious goals and implementing various initiatives, Chick-fil-A aims to create a lasting influence on the communities it serves, especially as it applies to diverting food waste and strategies such as repurposing cooking oil and turning it into a clean fuel.
One of Chick-fil-A’s core values is to care for others through food, and that sentiment is shown by donating surplus food to local organizations through the Chick-fil-A Shared Table program. Since 2012, 18 million meals have been donated to the Shared Table program.
The company’s 2022 report determined that 41,800 additional Chick-fil-A meals had been donated from operators and Chick-fil-A to other nonprofits throughout the communities served.
In addition to donating food to prevent waste, Chick-fil-A has diverted more than 13.9 million pounds of restaurant food waste from landfills through composting and the use of anaerobic digesters. Since 2020, the company has diverted 22 million pounds of food waste from landfills, achieving 88% of its goal, which is to divert 25 million pounds of food waste.
One of their most notable areas of work has included recycling used cooking oil and converting it into renewable diesel. In March 2022, Chick-fil-A partnered with Darling Ingredients to begin recycling used cooking oil.
Rodney Bullard, vice president of corporate social responsibility for Chick-fil-A, said, "Our innovative partnership with DAR PRO Solutions helps us be responsible stewards of the resources at our restaurants and allows us to support the future of renewable transportation fuel – all while positively influencing the communities we serve."
Darling Ingredients annually turns millions of pounds of used cooking oil into renewable diesel through its Diamond Green Diesel venture. Diamond Green Diesel is estimated to produce more than 700 million gallons of renewable diesel in 2022. The finished renewable fuel can reduce greenhouse gasses by up to 85%.
Since partnering with Darling Ingredients, Chick-fil-A has recycled oil from more than 1,000 Chick-fil-A restaurants, converting it into renewable diesel.
Recycling food waste isn’t the only way Chick-fil-A is working toward sustainability. The company also piloted an innovative solar-powered microgrid system at a restaurant in Stockton, California, to address the issue of planned and unplanned power outages and the need for greater renewable energy.
Moreover, Chick-fil-A remains dedicated to caring for the communities it serves, such as its scholarship program, local impact awards, and donations to humanitarian needs, as well as donating $1 million to the war in Ukraine.
Chick-fil-A's 2022 Global Impact Report reflects the company's commitment to corporate social responsibility. With ambitious goals for the future, Chick-fil-A aims to continue its journey of making a difference in the lives of people, caring for communities, and promoting sustainable practices.