Subway will participate in the ENERGY STAR Change a Light, Change the World campaign.
On October 1, 2008, in each of the approximately 22,000 Subway restaurants in the United States, an incandescent light bulb will be replaced with one Philips, energy efficient, compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb.
By partnering with Philips Lighting Company and Specialty Lighting to participate in the Change a Light, Change the World campaign, the Subway restaurant chain is trying to encourage Americans to help change the world, one light, one energy-savings step, at a time.
The participation by the largest franchise chain in the U.S. illustrates how each person can take small steps and be part of a larger movement to make a positive impact on the environment. By changing just one bulb, each restaurant will reduce its annual energy consumption by 87.6 Kilowatt hours. Together, however, U.S. Subway restaurants will save 1,927,200 Kilowatt hours, which is the equivalent to almost 3 million pounds of greenhouse gasses or removing more than 275 cars from the road for one year.
“It’s a natural fit for our franchisees to participate in the ENERGY STAR Change A Light, Change the World program as they can easily demonstrate the power just one person can have joining with others to create a significant global impact on the environment,” says Bill Schettini, Chief Marketing Officer for the Subway chain.
The brand also joins ENERGY STAR, which is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy, in encouraging Americans to take the ENERGY STAR Pledge to Change a Light/Change the World. The Pledge will be available on the company Web sites.
Other green steps taken by the brand include:
– Distribution: Strategic relocation of several redistribution centers next to vendor manufacturing facilities, eliminating the need to transport product long distances. In all, the move saves an estimated 1,330,000 gallons of diesel fuel per year and eliminates 9,227 truck loads annually.
– Packaging: Along with making napkins from 100 percent recycled materials saving an estimated 147,000 trees annually, the brand has also: switched the materials used for the manufacturing of its cutlery and plastic drinking cups saving an equivalent of 13,000 barrels of oil.
– Eco-Store: The first Subway Eco-Store opened last year in Kissimmee, Florida. Since then, four more have opened and there are many more in various stages of planning. The brand is working with the U.S. Green Building Council to earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for the Eco-Stores. The opening of the Eco-Store in Kissimmee also provides an opportunity to measure energy and water saving concepts against a standard SUBWAY® restaurant opening nearby.
– The Subway brand has been a leader in providing healthier alternatives to traditionally fatty fast foods and in 2007 removed what little trans fats it had from its core menu. The SUBWAY® chain is a proud sponsor of the American Heart Association American Heart Walks, Jump Rope for Heart and START! Walking at Work programs. In March 2007, the brand launched its FRESH Fit meals, which includes a low-fat submarine sandwich and “better for you sides,” such as sliced apples, raisins, yogurt, baked chips, bottled water, low-fat milk, and diet soda.
