Working with our franchisee owned, Independent Purchasing Company (IPC), the Subway® brand is committed to pursuing sustainable initiatives that focus on energy efficiency, water and resource conservation, waste reduction and sustainable and ethical sourcing and supply chain management. We fully support principles of responsible farming, fishing and animal husbandry - for the long term sustainability of the earth's natural resources.

On our Policy and Commitments Pages, you will see more information on our approach and actions taken to uphold our Responsible Sourcing standards.

Animal Welfare

As a restaurant company, Subway® believes that where our ingredients come from and how our animals are raised are integral to preparing great food for our guests. Our consumers and stakeholders expect sourcing practices to reflect the highest quality and safety standards. Subway’s animal welfare policy outlines our commitment to meeting our stakeholders' expectations for safe, quality, and sustainable products.

Our animal welfare policy is founded on the Five Freedoms principles proposed by the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) on the protection of animals kept for farming purposes.

We recognize that antibiotics are critical tools for keeping animals healthy and that they should be used responsibly to preserve their effectiveness in veterinary and human medicine. Our policy is that antibiotics can be used to treat, control and prevent disease, but not for growth promotion of farm animals. Accordingly, we are asking our suppliers to do the following:

• Adopt, implement and comply with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (“FDA’s”) guidance for industry 209 and 213, which requires that medically important antibiotics not be used for growth promotion. Visit the FDA site to learn more.
• Assure that all antibiotics use is overseen, pre-approved and authorized by a licensed veterinarian before they are administered to any animal.
• Keep accurate and complete records to track use of all antibiotics.
• Adhere at all times to all legal requirements governing antibiotic withdrawal times. This assures that antibiotics have been eliminated from the animals’ systems at the time of slaughter.
• Actively encourage, support and participate in research efforts focused on improving animal health while reducing antibiotics use.

Responsible Palm Oil Sourcing

Palm oil is used as an ingredient in very few Subway® products due to its high quality, desired baking characteristics and because it supports our initiative to eliminate added Trans fats. We believe that best practice today is to source palm oil from RSPO members (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil). We endorse the RSPO as the primary sustainability standard for palm oil products.

Supplier Code of Conduct

We have stringent audit processes that we enforce throughout our supply chain as well as require that our suppliers’ employment practices meet our Supplier Code of Conduct and Supply Chain Employment Practices Policy. Our code of conduct prohibits forced labor/slavery as well as establishing our expectations for employment, workplace practices, compensation and benefits, discrimination, health and safety. We are working towards making the safeguards of our supply chain more robust. We are also working with our suppliers to ensure compliance to these standards and to ensure that none of our products are directly or inadvertently associated with human trafficking or slave labor.

Tuna and Seafood Sourcing

The Subway® brand recognizes the vital importance of sustainable fishing - both commercially and ecologically. Our long-term goal is to work with the industry to move to more sustainable practices worldwide including: sourcing our seafood from independently certified sustainable fisheries, supporting protected areas and changing our specifications. We have already taken significant steps toward achieving this goal.

We believe in the need to maintain sustainable fish stocks and we support the use of independently assessed responsible fishing practices worldwide. We are working with our vendors and suppliers to source the seafood we serve in our restaurants as sustainably as possible today and into the future. We support the establishment of marine reserves, specifically in the Pacific Commons, and actively advocate a ban on the purchase of fish from illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) vessels, sourcing only from non-IUU vessels.

Tuna is the only seafood sandwich that is on the Subway® restaurants’ menu worldwide. We only sell skipjack and yellowfin tuna. It is sourced from fisheries with non-threatened stock levels. Furthermore, we have a global ban on the sale of tuna species that come from anything less than healthy stocks, for example Albacore and Tongol.

SUBWAY^® restaurants are individually owned and are operated by independent franchisees who pride themselves on being caring and active members of their communities. Whether it’s to provide food for first responders to an emergency or lending a hand building a new home for a family in need, SUBWAY^® franchisees around the world can be found working with local and regionally based organizations that provide help and support in their community – making a difference in the lives of others.

Preserving Our Milford Community

Mondo Ponds, the beautiful nature preserve in the backyard of the SUBWAY^® World Headquarters campus in Milford, Conn., was in need of some TLC. In partnership with the city of Milford, SUBWAY^® HQ helped refresh the area, widening the walking path, clearing brush and trees and paving the path with woodchips. The ponds are home to nearly 180 species of birds and a diverse set of wildlife, and its picturesque trail around the pond is enjoyed by members of the Milford community.

The SUBWAY^® culture embodies the entrepreneurial spirit of our founders and the thousands of successful restaurant owners that have helped to grow and shape the SUBWAY® brand over the years.

Our restaurant franchise model empowers individuals to own their own business, creates job opportunities and stimulates economic development in local communities worldwide.

We understand the importance of continuous training and improvement in all that we do. All SUBWAY^® franchisees receive intensive and on-going training that includes a combination of classroom and in-store experiences as well as access to the web-based University of SUBWAY^®.

Our franchisees are encouraged to use a learning ladder approach for staff development to promote achievement, a sense of pride, and provide an avenue for career advancement.