MILFORD, Conn. — The first Subway Eco-Store has opened in Kissimmee, Fla. Elements of the store include 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.
Recycled products and furnishings were used extensively in the restaurant's construction and recycling is emphasized in customer areas. The brand also has taken on a number of packaging initiatives, including using paper napkins made from 100-percent recycled materials — of which 60 percent are post-consumer recyclables, saving an estimated 147,000 trees annually. Subway has switched the materials used for the manufacturing of its cutlery and 32-ounce plastic drinking cups from polystyrene to polypropylene, saving more than 610,000 pounds of resin and the equivalent of 13,000 barrels of oil each year. "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." The initiative also is realizing a cost savings for its thousands of franchisees. Working in partnership with the franchisee-controlled Independent Purchasing Cooperative (IPC), which sources products and negotiates contracts for Subway franchisees, brand representatives are reviewing everything from materials used in disposable gloves to the locations of product distribution centers.
