KFC focused on sustainability through circularity, shares plans to roll out Green Line furniture

At KFC, we have bold sustainability goals to reduce our GHG emissions by 46% by 2030 and to reach net-zero emissions globally by 2050. One effort that will help us achieve this is the practice of circularity – when a product or resource is used, then recycled, composted, or re-used in a way that allows it to go back into a new lifecycle or supply chain. 

As one of the fastest growing retailers in the world, we have a passion and responsibility to grow sustainably. With more than 27,000 restaurants worldwide and a new KFC opening every 6 hours somewhere across the globe, our restaurants are one of our greatest opportunities to increase circularity and reduce our environmental impact.  

Our development team has been working to develop a set of furniture that has a lower impact on the environment. We call it Green Line Furniture. 

This collection of furnishings is developed and finished using recovered materials while maintaining performance and durability. In addition to the pieces of furniture being more sustainable, they also weigh significantly less, which means we can transport this furniture to the restaurants while generating less greenhouse gas emissions – 32% less to be exact.  

Green Line Furniture will be incorporated into new restaurants and extensive remodels across multiple markets beginning this year. But this better-for-the-Earth furniture isn’t the only circularity project KFC has cooking. 

In Australia, KFC is partnering with a supplier who manufactures sustainable, affordable and high-performance building materials made from hard to recycle waste. For example, milk and juice cartons that would ordinarily go to a landfill are “upcycled” into new materials, like build board.  

The upcycled “board” has been successfully installed in a new company-owned restaurant with positive feedback from the builders citing ease of use, pre-finished quality and limited labor required to install. It’s very competitive in price and super durable, proving that there are options for low cost and high-quality building materials that are also sustainable.  

Whether it’s the materials that make up the walls of our restaurants or the furniture we fill them with, we’re committed to sustainable development today and in the years to come.