Dean Foods Company Achieves The ENERGY STAR® Challenge for Industry At Eighteen Plants Nationwide

DALLAS, Feb. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- In a positive step toward improving energy efficiency, Dean Foods Company (NYSE: DF) has met the requirements for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) "ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry" by reducing its energy intensity by 10 percent or more at 18 manufacturing locations nationwide.

Dean Foods enrolled 72 of its plants in the EPA's ENERGY STAR Challenge. Across the entire dairy industry, 148 dairy plants have taken the challenge, but only seven other non-Dean plants have met the goal so far.

The ENERGY STAR Challenge is a national call-to-action to improve energy efficiency of America's commercial and industrial buildings. The U.S. manufacturing industry is responsible for nearly 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States and spends almost $100 billion annually on energy. Under the umbrella of the ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry, EPA is working with Dean Foods and other companies to fight climate change through improvements in energy efficiency.

"We are pleased to be part of the ENERGY STAR Challenge and very proud of the work we've done company-wide to help protect the environment by improving our energy performance," said Gregg Tanner, Dean Foods Chief Executive Officer. "The recognition we've received from the EPA is a tangible way to demonstrate the progress we're making toward our goals to reduce our environmental impact and operating costs – as well as improve our efficiency – by 2020."

In its efforts to meet the ENERGY STAR Challenge, Dean Foods has employed a number of environmentally friendly initiatives ranging from the use of high efficiency lighting and controls to solar heating and thermal recovery and re-use.

Dean Foods manufacturing plants in the following cities met the ENERGY STAR Challenge:

Dean Foods is an Energy Star Partner and has ranked as one of the top consumer products companies on the Carbon Disclosure Project's Leadership Index for three of the past four years. The company first published environmental sustainability goals in 2009. Earlier this year, the company released new 2020 environmental sustainability goals which include reducing greenhouse gases 25% and energy use 20% by 2020.

About Dean Foods

Dean Foods is a leading food and beverage company in the United States. The Company's Fresh Dairy Direct segment is the nation's largest processor and direct-to-store distributor of fluid milk marketed under more than 50 local and regional dairy brands and private labels. Fresh Dairy Direct also distributes ice cream, cultured products, juices, teas, bottled water and other products. Dean Foods also holds a majority interest in The WhiteWave Foods Company, which produces and sells an array of nationally and internationally branded plant-based foods and beverages, coffee creamers and beverages, and premium dairy products. WhiteWave brands - including Silk®, Horizon Organic®, International Delight®, and LAND O LAKES® - are category leaders and consumer favorites. Alpro is the pan-European leader in branded soy food and beverage products with the Alpro® soya and Provamel® brands. For more information about Dean Foods, visit www.deanfoods.com.

About ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Today, the ENERGY STAR label can be found on more than 60 different kinds of products as well as new homes and buildings. Products that have earned the ENERGY STAR designation prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the government. In 2009 alone, Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, prevented 45 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions—equivalent to the annual emissions from 30 million vehicles—and saved nearly $17 billion on their utility bills. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov or call toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937).

Contact: Maya Zisbrod
[email protected]
212.679.6600 x275

Sayeda Mahler
[email protected]
214.721.7766

SOURCE Dean Foods Company