The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the 2015 winners of the SmartWay Excellence Awards: retailers, manufacturers and logistics companies that demonstrate how businesses can shrink their carbon footprints and contribute to healthier air, all while saving on fuel costs as they move goods across the country.
The winners are as follows: Armada, Appleton Coated LLC, Bacardi USA Inc., Canon USA Inc., Gorton's, Hewlett-Packard, Kimberly-Clark Corp., Lowe's Companies Inc., Menlo Logistics, The Home Depot U.S.A. Inc. and Whirlpool Corp.
According to the EPA, these companies demonstrated environmental leadership through effective collaboration, advanced technology and operational practices, robust SmartWay data validation and reporting, communication and public outreach, and implementation of sustainability practices in local communities.
“SmartWay partners know that improving freight supply-chain efficiency is not only good for business, but also good for our shared environment,” explains Janet McCabe, acting assistant administrator for the EPA's office of air and radiation. “These award-winning partners are leaders among their peers: saving fuel, reducing pollution that contributes to climate change and poor air quality, and saving their customers money – a triple play.”
Since 2004, SmartWay Partners have avoided emissions of over 60 million metric tons of carbon pollution and saved more than 140 million barrels of oil and over $20 billion in fuel costs.
