Yum! Brands
YUM! Brands is the world's largest restaurant company. It operates or licenses major fast-food chains including Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut. It has 38,000 restaurant locations worldwide in more than 120 countries and global sales of $12 billion.
As You Sow has approached the company to discuss recycling of its in-store beverage containers and related food service packaging.
Our engagement with YUM! is part of a larger outreach to fast food icons Dunkin' Donuts, McDonald's and Starbucks to provide on-site recycling for their post-consumer packaging. Starbucks has already agreed to recycle all plastic and paper cups left in its stores by 2015.
After As You Sow filed a proposal with McDonald's in 2011, the company agreed to switch out polystyrene cups for paper cups at 2000 west coast stores and is actively investigating in-store packaging recycling.
As You Sow attempted for a full year to engage YUM! in dialogue about recycling cups and related post-consumer packaging on-site at its various quick service restaurant units.
The company was not responsive, so we filed a proposal for 2013 asking it to adopt a comprehensive on-premise recycling strategy for food and beverage packaging. A memo outlining reasons to support the proposal is available here.
After discussions with YUM! representatives, we agreed to withdraw our shareholder proposal in May 2013. The company has taken some positive steps in regard to a strategy for packaging recycling at its restaurant locations. We are pleased that the company has indicated a willingness in its Corporate Social Responsibility Report to continue developing recycling initiatives for packaging waste at its restaurants. YUM! has agreed to a good faith dialogue with As You Sow on its progress towards developing recycling initiatives.
Read more about our engagements with Yum! below.
STATUS: Withdrawn; Company will address
BE IT RESOLVED: Shareholders request that Yum! Brands adopt an enterprise-wide policy to phase out the use of medically important antibiotics for growth promotion and disease prevention in its meat and poultry supply chain.
Shareholders further request the company publish timetables and measures for implementing this policy.
Filing Documents
Press
Related 2017 Engagements
STATUS: Withdrawn; Company will address
BE IT RESOLVED: Shareowners of YUM! Brands request that the board of directors adopt a comprehensive recycling policy for on-site food and beverage packaging. The board shall prepare a report on the company’s plans to implement this policy by the end of 2016. The report, to be prepared at reasonable cost, may omit confidential information.
Filing Documents
Press
Related 2016 Engagements
STATUS: Withdrawn; Company will address
Discarded food service and product packaging is a source of waste and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, a significant consumer of natural resources and energy, and implicated in the impairment and death of marine animals. More than half of U.S. product packaging is discarded
rather than recycled. Only a negligible amount of food service packaging is recycled in the U.S. Just 12% of all plastic packaging is recycled. The value of wasted packaging is estimated at $11 billion annually.
Filing Documents
Related 2013 Engagements
STATUS: Withdrawn; Company will address
Our business involves the sale of numerous products and the use of numerous materials, which may contain chemicals linked to cancer, mutation, birth defects, or other serious human health effects.
Filing Documents
Press
Find more Yum! Brands 2011 press coverage and press releases.
Related 2011 Engagements
