Greif Receives Global Green Industrial Design Award for Its PackH2O™ Backpack

DELAWARE, Ohio, Dec. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Green USA honored Greif, Inc. (NYSE: GEF, GEF.B) with the Industrial Design Award at its 13^th Annual Global Green Sustainable Design Awards event held Dec. 3 in New York City. The award honors the PackH2O water backpack created specifically for the human transport of water in water-distressed regions and disaster zones.

A world leader in the manufacture of industrial packaging, Greif developed the water backpack constructed of industrial-grade polypropylene fabric. PackH2O was also recently named a Popular Science 2012 Best of What's New Award winner in the Green category.

"We are grateful for this recognition from Global Green USA, and privileged to take a place beside the other Award honorees. This recognition is another affirmation that we are addressing the Achilles' heel of water distribution - the transport by a person from source to home," said Scott Griffin, chief sustainability officer for Greif.

Griffin continued, "We purposefully designed sustainability into the water backpack and our business model. We minimized the carbon footprint of the water backpack every way we could, including the use of scrap material from our production of flexible industrial packaging, which would otherwise be reprocessed. We also took out cost as much as possible so we could set a low price that would cover costs and enable distribution to make the water backpack self-supporting. This way, we can continue to make water backpacks without straining our resources, ensuring production until the day they're not needed anymore."

A water backpack can be purchased and donated for $10 at the web site PackH2O, www.packh20.com, and can be custom-printed for bulk orders.

The water backpack is also available in kits that are optimally priced to be sewn, distributed and sold by women creating small business networks in developing markets with minimal capital and training. The intention is for the water backpacks to ultimately create needed local jobs in economically disadvantaged communities.

Simple Idea, Intelligent Design
The water backpack is part of the company's work with the Clinton Global Initiative and its commitment to CGI to improve water transport in some of the world's poorest regions.

The water backpack features:

• Ergonomic design to take weight off the head and neck and distribute it on the back, leaving hands free
• Light weight – seven times lighter than the typical jerry can used to carry water
• 20 liter capacity for adults; 5 liter capacity for the children's size
• Construction of flexible industrial grade material for durability and folding for shipment and storage
• Roll-top closure to protect the water during transport and diminish loss to spilling, sloshing and evaporation
• Adjustable soft, broad straps for comfort
• Sturdy base to allow the pack to stand on its own when filled
• Wide mouth for fast filling
• Spigot designed to deliver a steady stream of water into a container without splashing
• Removable, replaceable clear liner that can be disinfected by exposure to sunlight
• Reflective strips for safety at night
• A sewn-in loop for hanging off the floor

About Global Green USA
Global Green USA is an environmental nonprofit working to stem climate change, build a more sustainable future, and help the communities, people, and planet in crisis -- with projects and initiatives for green affordable housing, schools, neighborhoods, and cities. Nearly 20 years ago, Global Green USA was created as the American affiliate of Green Cross International, which was founded by President Gorbachev to foster a global value shift toward a sustainable and secure future.

About Greif, Inc.
Greif is a world leader in industrial packaging products and services. The company produces steel, plastic, fibre, flexible, corrugated and multiwall containers, intermediate bulk containers, containerboard and packaging accessories, and provides blending, filling and industrial packaging reconditioning services for a wide range of industries. Greif also manages timber properties in North America. Greif has a long-term commitment to creating and engaging in sustainable business practices, investing in manufacturing process improvements that reduce waste, energy and water use. Greif also supports humanitarian relief efforts with the development and distribution of its PackH2O water backpack and through other activities. For more information about Greif's sustainability achievements, go to http://www.greif.com/sustainability.

SOURCE Greif, Inc.