It might not be easy being green, but these franchises sure do make it look like a breeze! This week, franchises have been rethinking the ways we treat the environment, and they have come up with some solutions to help their customers and employees be more environmentally friendly. See how franchises are going green and strengthening their commitment to more eco-friendly business in this week’s Friday Franchising News.
Card Connection Does Its Part to Reduce Plastic Waste
Card Connection, the UK’s number one greeting card franchise, has taken a hard look at its Party product range and identified a problem – plastic straws are an unnecessary disposable item that needs to be gotten rid of. So that’s exactly what Card Connection did. The franchise immediately stopped orders for any more plastic straws and quickly worked to find a supplier with a more eco-friendly alternative. They found a supplier in the Far East who offers bright, fun paper straws that are 100% biodegradable and are better for the environment. Card Connection franchise owners are excited for this new product line, and the franchise expects its customers to be just as happy about the environmentally friendly change.
Riverford Organic Farmers Commits to Ditching Single Use Plastic
Riverford Organic Farmers is doing what it can for the planet by committing itself to doing away with all single use plastic in its vegetable boxes by the year 2020. The organic produce franchise already claims to use 77% less plastic than other similar produce suppliers in supermarkets. The company currently uses plastic to cover produce such as salad, spinach and herbs for protection during shipping. The franchise hopes to have an alternative compostable packaging, that will break down within 12 weeks, ready for use soon. Riverford will also set up a method of returning compostable packaging for customers that don’t have composting facilities, that way the company can compost the material and reuse it to grow more of its produce. Riverford Organic Farmers has made a name for itself as a green company during its 30 years in business, winning accolades from the BOOM (Best of Organic Market) Awards, The Veggie Awards, and The British Farming Awards. The franchise was even awarded the title of Ethical Product of the Decade in 2015 for its produce boxes.
Subway Australia and New Zealand Launches Vegan Options
Subway restaurants in Australia and New Zealand are introducing delicious new vegan and vegetarian options to its menu. The new sandwich is a plant-based falafel sub that can be topped with dairy-free condiments. The new addition is a 100% vegan option suitable for all vegetarian and vegan diners. It is a direct result of customer demand in the Australian region for more plant-based lunch options. And Australian Subway fans aren’t the only ones with new plant-based options. Subway in Finland is now offering a ‘vegan delight' made of a soy-based patty with a spicy sauce. Meanwhile, in America, Subway diners can choose from two vegan options, the Black Bean Sub and Malibu Garden Sub. This new menu addition is sure to satisfy those Subway customers avoiding animal products for health and environmental reasons.