BD Issues 2010 Sustainability Report

FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J., May 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE: BDX), a leading global medical technology company, announced today the publication of its 2010 Sustainability Report.  The report reaffirms the commitment of BD's 29,000 dedicated associates worldwide to pursuing the Company's purpose, "Helping all people live healthy lives," and doing so in a way that is centered on balancing the "triple-bottom-line" – achieving strong economic performance, promoting environmental stewardship and advancing social responsibility.

"In 2010, we continued to observe the strong connections between global health challenges and global environmental issues – and the role that BD can play in making progress in both areas," said Edward J. Ludwig, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.  "We continue to make progress and believe that our sustainability strategy drives our creativity. It helps us to be more innovative with regard to our actions, products, services and collaborations, which in turn drive growth and operating excellence."

BD's commitment to helping to provide affordable, accessible medical technologies that help address fundamental healthcare needs has been embedded in BD's culture since the Company's founding in 1897.  Today, BD also recognizes the importance of strong environmental performance, and aspires to be recognized as the most environmentally responsible company in its industry.

The 2010 Sustainability Report highlights BD's priorities and performance in areas including:

• Society: BD is focused on making contributions to society through its worldwide business operations, including the medical devices, instrument systems and reagents that it manufactures and sells, and is dedicated to improving people's health throughout the world.  BD supplements these contributions by giving time, talent and resources to improve global health standards and access to healthcare for all communities. The report highlights BD's strategic collaborations.

• Fundamental Healthcare Needs:  BD's strategy is to increase sustainable revenue growth by serving as a global leader in developing and applying technologies to solve emerging, sometimes underappreciated, but important and fundamental healthcare problems.  The report highlights BD's work to address important healthcare issues, such as healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), women's health and cancer, and diabetes.

• Product Responsibility:  BD products play a key role in the discovery, diagnosis and treatment of disease, through an approach that includes integrating safety-engineering features into our products design. The report highlights continued efforts on healthcare worker and patient safety, as well as BD's approach to working with suppliers on sustainability.

• Associates:  The success of BD's business depends on the creativity, innovation and commitment of the 29,000 people it employs in more than 50 countries around the world. The report highlights BD's commitment to associate health and safety, learning and development, and diversity and inclusion.

• The Environment:  BD has a clear strategy to reduce its environmental footprint while supporting the efforts of its customers and suppliers to do the same, through an approach that extends throughout the integrated supply chain.  The report highlights progress toward BD's 2015 Sustainability Targets, and the achievement of meeting three of these targets – hazardous waste reduction, renewable energy use and water reduction – ahead of schedule.

2010 Awards and Recognition highlights include:

• BD has been included on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for five consecutive years.
• BD was ranked #2 in the Healthcare industry and #24 overall in Newsweek's 2010 Green Rankings.
• BD has been named one of the "World's Most Ethical Companies" by Ethisphere since 2007.
• BD was awarded a 2010 Green Power Leadership Award in the Green Power Purchaser category by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

BD's 2010 Sustainability Report is available online at www.bd.com/sustainability.

About BD

BD, a leading global medical technology company that manufactures and sells medical devices, instrument systems and reagents, is dedicated to improving people's health throughout the world.  BD is focused on improving drug therapy, enhancing the quality and speed of diagnosing infectious diseases, and advancing research and discovery of new drugs and vaccines.  The Company's capabilities are instrumental in combating many of the world's most pressing diseases.  Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, BD employs approximately 29,000 associates in more than 50 countries throughout the world.  The Company serves healthcare institutions, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, industry and the general public.  For more information, please visit www.bd.com.

Contact:
Colleen T. White, Corporate Communications – 201-847-5369
Monique Dolecki, Investor Relations – 201-847-5453

SOURCE BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company)