Aramark, the leading US-based provider of food, facilities, and uniform services, has announced a new 2025 sustainability plan called Be Well. Do Well. Its project focuses on positively impacting people and the planet.
Be Well. Do Well.’s key priorities revolve around people (to engage employees, empower healthy consumers, support local communities, while sourcing ethically and inclusively) and planet (to source responsibly, operate efficiently, and to effectively manage food waste, packaging, emissions, and other activities that could adversely impact the environment and planet).
Aramark’s people priority is to facilitate access to opportunities that will improve the well-being of the company’s employees, consumers, communities, and people in its supply chain. Building on current work, Aramark continues to help people develop careers and livelihoods, access, choose and prepare healthy food, and grow communities, businesses, and local economies.
Concerning the environment, Aramark says it is focused on several initiatives, including climate change. The company is working to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by offering more vegan and vegetarian meals, sourcing responsibly, operating more efficiently, minimizing food waste, and reducing packaging.
While the company’s efforts, to date, have already shown significant progress, the Be Well. Do Well. concept will use the following programs to accelerate its positive impact over the next five years:
- Engage Employees: Aramark’s management and operational leadership teams currently include approximately 56 percent of women, and 57 percent of the workforce is racially/ethnically diverse.
- Empower Healthy Consumers: Aramark has effected a 15 percent average reduction in calories, saturated fat, and sodium across its menus served in workplaces, hospital cafes, and college or university dining halls, where 30 percent of menu offerings are now vegan or vegetarian.
- Support Local Communities: Since the inception of the Aramark Building Community in 2008, Aramark volunteers impacted more than five million adults and children in underserved communities, helping to improve community health and the employment success of youth, adults, and families.
- Source Ethically and Inclusively: Aramark works with over 6,000 small and diverse suppliers to provide goods and services to support clients. About 18 percent of those are formally certified as diverse suppliers. The company will continue to focus on promoting diversity among Aramark’s supplier partners ecosystem.
- Source Responsibly: Building upon work surrounding animal welfare and sustainable seafood, Aramark has also committed to implementing a No-Deforestation Policy. The company is acting on commitments to purchase broiler chickens, eggs, and pork from partners who embrace humane practices.
- Operate Efficiently: Aramark is executing on initiatives that aim to improve fuel efficiency over the next three years materially.
- Minimize Food Waste: Aramark has eliminated more than 15 million pounds of waste since 2015, contributing to the company’s overall goal of reducing food loss by 50 percent by 2030.
- Reduce Packaging: The Company has reduced its purchase of plastic straws and stirrers by 20 percent over the last year, intending to reduce purchases of these items by 60 percent by the end of 2020.
“Aramark strives to do our part with respect to environmental, economic, social, and ethical considerations,” said Kathy Cacciola, Aramark’s Vice President, Enterprise Sustainability. “Be Well. Do Well. focuses our efforts to help people and our planet, as we serve our client partners, employees, shareholders, and other stakeholders.”
“It is great to see Aramark putting equal emphasis on people and planet,” said Meghan Fay Zahniser, Executive Director, Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). “We applaud them for working to reduce GHG emissions, with efforts that range from plant-based menu options to vehicle fleet efficiencies, and for recent announcements, like their support of Swipe Out Hunger and addressing food insecurity on campuses.”
