Sodexo Marks One Year of Recycled Paper Napkin Program with Significant Environmental...

Sodexo Marks One Year of Recycled Paper Napkin Program with Significant
Environmental Impact Announcement
Enough energy saved to power 600 American homes for a year

GAITHERSBURG, Md., March 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Proving that simple acts can
have a big impact, Sodexo announced today that after only one year, its switch
to recycled napkins in 1,300 foodservice operations nationwide has resulted in
saving nearly ten million gallons of water, more than 23,000 trees, half a
million gallons of oil and five and a half million kilowatts of energy. The
company began using two types of recycled napkins last year as part of a
commitment to leadership in sustainability and to providing environment-
friendly practices.
Energy was saved because less power is used to recycle paper products than
to create them from virgin material - enough was saved through the napkin
program to power 600 American homes for an entire year! In addition, more than
half a million gallons of oil were saved - 38 tanker trucks worth - and 41
tons of pollutants were kept out of the environment. Further, 4,131 cubic
yards of paper were diverted from landfill space. This is enough to cover an
entire football field with a two and a half feet deep stack of paper.
"These recycled products and dispensers that reduce waste are simple, easy
and effective ways that Sodexo is helping our clients to be more
environmentally responsible. These calculations demonstrate how little things
add up to a truly significant impact by implementing environmental programs
across our company," said Arlin S. Wasserman, vice president for corporate
citizenship for Sodexo. "Part of Sodexo's sustainability commitment is to
continually seek out and offer our clients effective ways that we can work
together to help protect our environment."
In addition, Sodexo is bringing the Xpressnap(R) napkin program to its
client sites, which creates additional environmental savings. The program has
resulted in a 25 to 50 percent reduction in the actual number of paper napkins
used thanks to new dispensers that dispense a single napkin at a time.
The calculations are made by the Recycled Products Cooperative (RPC),
which says that each ton of 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper that
displaces a ton of virgin fiber paper saves 7,000 gallons of water, 4,100
kilowatt hours of electricity and prevents 60 pounds of pollutants from
entering the atmosphere. In addition, use of recycled products helps protect
wildlife habitat, diverts useful items from landfills (which saves both space
and money), and helps preserve the earth's natural beauty.
Sodexo has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, World
Index, and STOXX Sustainability Index for three consecutive years. This year,
Dow Jones also recognized the company as a supersector worldwide leader on
sustainability. Sodexo's corporate citizenship priorities include fighting
hunger and malnutrition, improving the quality of life of our customers and
employees, promoting health and wellness, conducting ethical business, and
promoting sustainability. Sodexo's food and environmental platform in North
America focuses on sourcing and providing locally grown foods, improving
nutrition, promoting local economies, energy conservation and carbon
reduction, reducing the use of toxic chemicals, integrated waste management
and minimizing packaging.
About Sodexo, Inc.
Sodexo, Inc. (www.sodexo.com) is a leading integrated food and facilities
management services company in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with $7.3 billion
(USD) in annual revenue and 120,000 employees. Sodexo, Inc. serves more than
ten million customers daily in corporations, health care, long term care and
retirement centers, schools, college campuses, government and remote sites.
Sodexo, Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., is a member of Sodexo Group,
and funds the Sodexo Foundation (www.helpstophunger.org), an independent
charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than
$9.2 million in grants to fight hunger in America.
SOURCE Sodexo, Inc.

Jaya K. Bohlmann of Sodexo, Inc., +1-301-987-4550, jaya.bohlmann@sodexo.com