28,000 Unit Franchise Company Going Green. Will You?

Subway is a well known franchise, and has over 28,000 units operating. So when Subway corporate says that they are going green, we all need to take notice.  Subway has made huge strides, and is one of the most recognized brands in the world. The last time I heard branding being tossed around in franchise circles, McDonald's, and AAMCO were up there, pretty high in all things branding.{The co-founder of AAMCO, Anthony A. Martino, just passed away in January.}

Subway seems to following in the footsteps of another Green franchise that I wrote about, recently.
Green? What does green mean, in the case of Subway? Here is what Subway says it is doing to help the environment:

Subway now offers napkins with 100 percent recycled materials. The Result: An estimated savings of 147,000 trees annually.

Subway switched their cutlery and drinking cups from polystyrene to polypropylene. The Result: An estimated annual resin savings of more than 610,000 pounds and saves the equivalent of 13,000 barrels of oil.

Subway has also just recently opened their first of many planned, eco-stores. They include things like:

High-efficiency HVAC systems, remote condensing units for refrigeration and ice-making equipment, day lighting and controls for high-efficiency lighting, LED interior and exterior signs, low-flow water fixtures and building and décor materials from sustainable sources.

This is great stuff, folks. But how does Subway try to convince the multitude of franchisees in their system, most of them owning multi-units, to go green? I am assuming that the current franchise agreements {contracts} don’t have some of the things outlined above in them. {Yet]

The Subway Independent Purchasing Cooperative, a franchisee owned co-op that sources all the products, and negotiates all of the contracts on behalf of Subway’s franchisees, is working to find ways to help integrate sustainable practices into all of the franchised units.  
 
QSR web, the Quick Service Restaurant resource for those in the know, interviewed a Subway official, who said:

"We have made a commitment as a brand to become even more environmentally accountable," said Bill Schettini, chief marketing officer for Subway. "With more locations in the United States than any other restaurant chain, and more than 28,400 worldwide, we are in a position to make a significant and positive global impact on the environment and the world around us."

Subway is in a great position to do just that. Anyone else getting ready to jump on this important bandwagon? Feeling Green?

If you are entertaining the thought of becoming a Green franchise owner, whether it is Subway, Pizza Fusion, or any other Green or un-Green franchise, I strongly suggest researching it thoroughly. Like this.