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Dunkin’ Brands Releases Second Corporate Social Responsibility Report

By: Dunkin' Brands |  6 Shares     133 Reads

June 13, 2013 // Franchising.com // CANTON, Mass. - Dunkin’ Brands Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: DNKN), the parent company of Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins, today published Focused on Sustainable Solutions, the company’s second Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report. The report offers a detailed review of Dunkin’ Brands’ current CSR initiatives, as well as key areas of focus for the future, such as product sourcing, packaging, and energy efficiency.

Focused on Sustainable Solutions outlines Dunkin’ Brands’ ongoing commitment to explore sustainable solutions that meet the needs of its stakeholders, including franchisees, employees and guests, as well as the communities the brand serves, and the planet. The report also details the progress Dunkin’ Brands made against the goals outlined in its first CSR report, Serving Responsibly, issued in 2011.

Key highlights of the report include:

Nutrition

In 2012 Dunkin’ Brands welcomed two new members to its Nutrition Advisory Board (NAB), comprised of leading health and nutrition experts who provide perspective on science, trends and legislation to enhance the quality of nutrition in Dunkin’ Brands’ menu items. In collaboration with the NAB, Dunkin’ Brands continually reviews its menu portfolios for opportunities to improve the nutritional profile of its products. Both brands have specially-focused menus, DDSMART® and BRight Choices® respectively, that offer a full selection of better-for-you food and beverages that meet a number of predetermined nutritional criteria, while still offering the high quality and great taste that Dunkin’ Brands guests have come to expect.

Sustainable Sourcing

Dunkin’ Brands cares about the way animals are raised and treated, recognizing animal welfare as a key part of a sustainable supply chain. The brand’s 2011 CSR report noted a commitment to complete feasibility research on sourcing cage-free eggs and gestation crate-free pork by 2013. In September 2012, Dunkin’ Brands exceeded that goal by announcing that Dunkin’ Donuts will transition five percent of the eggs in its breakfast sandwiches nationwide to cage-free by the end of 2013 and will eliminate gestation crates from its pork supply chain. Additionally, this spring select Dunkin' Donuts restaurants introduced Iced Green Tea, made with tea sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms, which meet high standards of social and economic sustainability.

Packaging

Dunkin’ Brands continues to search for a sustainable packaging solution to replace the Dunkin’ Donuts foam cup. While there is currently no single-use hot beverage cup on the market that meets the brand’s criteria for performance, cost and recyclability, Dunkin’ Brands remains committed to solving this and other packaging issues. Dunkin’ Brands piloted an in-store foam cup-recycling program in five of its company-operated stores in February 2013 and plans to roll this out to all company-operated stores later this year. The company also launched a formal hot and cold reusable cup program as an option for franchisees. Finally, Dunkin’ Brands is pleased to announce plans to introduce a new, recyclable version of Baskin-Robbins’ iconic pink spoon in early 2014.

Franchisee Support in Sustainability

Dunkin’ Brands is continuously identifying and incorporating sustainable building and energy solutions that reduce costs for franchisees while benefiting the environment. In St. Petersburg, Fla., the company opened its second LEED Certified restaurant, which achieved Gold certification in August 2012. In addition, Dunkin’ Brands has developed and launched “Power Down, Profit Up,” a comprehensive energy efficiency toolkit designed to generate utility savings for its franchisees.

Support for Local Communities

Dunkin’ Brands remains dedicated to serving the basic needs of the local communities it serves – from providing food for the hungry and support for children’s health, to ensuring our neighborhoods are safe and secure. Founded in 2006, The Dunkin’ Donuts & Baskin-Robbins Community Foundation (DDBRCF) serves our neighborhoods through food for the hungry, safety for our neighborhoods and health for our children. Together with Dunkin’ Brands franchisees, The DDBRCF has donated $1.58 million to local charities such as food banks and children’s hospitals over the past two years. Since 2006, the organization has awarded more than $4.4 million in grants to local charities.

“Focused on Sustainable Solutions is an appropriate title for our second CSR Report, as we are committed to finding sustainable solutions that benefit our employees, our franchisees, our communities and our planet,” said Karen Raskopf, Dunkin’ Brands’ Chief Communications Officer and Co-chair of The Dunkin’ Donuts & Baskin-Robbins Community Foundation. “We are proud of our achievements, such as providing more better-for-you menu choices for our guests, announcing plans to source cage-free eggs, and providing our franchisees with tools to improve energy efficiency, while recognizing that there remains much more for us to do. This report represents our recent progress, the challenges ahead, and our pledge to continue to address the social and environmental issues that face our business.”

To download / read Focused on Sustainable Solutions, or to learn more about Dunkin’ Brands’ CSR initiatives, please visit http://news.dunkinbrands.com/content/default.aspx?NewsAreaId=26&__EventTarget=PageIndex&__EVENTARGUMENT=6

About Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc.

With more than 17,400 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 year 2012, Dunkin' Brands' nearly 100 percent franchised business model included more than 10,500 Dunkin' Donuts restaurants and more than 7,000 Baskin-Robbins restaurants. For the full-year 2012, the company had franchisee-reported sales of approximately $8.8 billion. Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc. is headquartered in Canton, Mass.

SOURCE Dunkin' Brands

Contact:

Lindsay Harrington
781-737-5200
lindsay.harrington@dunkinbrands.com

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