Darden sets sustainability goalsDarden sets sustainability goals

Ron Ruggless

ORLANDO Fla. To further its sustainability efforts, Darden Restaurants Inc. said it has set a goal of reducing energy and water use at its 1,800 restaurants by 15 percent by 2015.

The Olive Garden and Red Lobster parent also became the first restaurant company to join the Sustainability Consortium, an independent organization administered by the University of Arkansas and Arizona State University to improve sustainability in the supply chain.

Darden said it has already reduced water use at each of its restaurants by 700,000 gallons a year and installed energy-efficient lighting in all of its kitchens.

The company also said its eventual goal is to send zero waste to landfills.

“Our business relies on a number of natural resources, and these goals are designed to help us be the best stewards of those resources that we can be.” Ian Olson, Darden’s director of sustainability, said in a statement.

Earlier this year, the company said it is incorporating Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, standards into all its new restaurants and, where feasible, remodels. An Olive Garden unit that opened in January in Jonesboro, Ark., serves as the company's first "learning lab" as it works to implement more eco-friendly measures.

Collaboration with other companies, as it expects to do in the Sustainability Consortium, will help Darden make progress in its goal to cut water and energy usage, Olson said.

“Our membership in the Sustainability Consortium will allow us to build on our efforts by combining our knowledge and insights with organizations in other fields, effectively multiplying our impact,” he said.

Jon Johnson, director of the Applied Sustainability Center at the University of Arkansas, said Darden’s executives “have set aggressive goals regarding sustainability, and they will undoubtedly bring a wealth of knowledge and innovative ideas to the table.”

Bill Herzig, senior vice president of purchasing and supply chain innovation for Darden, added: “We see tremendous value in learning from other sectors such as agriculture, dairy, fisheries and packaging. This will enable us to help educate our buyers and suppliers and encourage sustainable purchasing and manufacturing practices throughout our supply chain.”

Darden Restaurants’ brands include Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Bahama Breeze and Seasons 52.

Contact Ron Ruggless at [email protected].