Wendy’s saved an estimated 377,000 gallons of diesel last year by improving delivery efficiencies and focusing on sustainable transportation, the restaurant chain said in a 2019 corporate social responsibility report published this week.
“Supplying our restaurants takes large-scale transportation efforts,” the company’s report said. “In 2018, we expanded the number of restaurants that reduced the number of deliveries each week in order to create efficiencies that ultimately mean fewer trips, fewer miles, and less fuel.”
The fast food chain urged its suppliers to address and continuously make improvements in environmental considerations including emissions from manufacturing, processing, and transportation as well as energy reduction and fossil fuel usage in 2018.
Diesel saved last year corresponds to 8.4 million pounds of carbon, according the company. Wendy’s and its franchise restaurants also recycle more than 39 million pounds of spent oil annually, mostly as biodiesel fuel, the 2019 report noted.
The company’s internal strategy, known as Squarely Sustainable, calls for ongoing energy efficiency.
“Wendy’s was among the first restaurant brands to sign on to the US Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Challenge in 2016, which includes our commitment to reduce energy consumption in company-owned restaurants by 20% per transaction by 2025,” the 2019 report said. “Wendy’s was also the first restaurant company to include its franchisees in the challenge.”
More than 1,500 locations are currently participating in the challenge, the chain reported.
Early last year the fast food chain also joined the NextGen Consortium, a Closed Loop Partners initiative convening industry members to work on improving packaging. In February, Closed Loop Partners announced 12 winners in three categories for the NextGen Cup Challenge, an open-sourced international competition to redesign to-go cups.
“Our customers are increasingly aware of packaging waste and its impact on the environment,” said Liliana Esposito, Wendy’s chief communications officer. “We embrace our role as being part of the solution.”
