Sears Holdings Joins the Environmental Protection Agency's WasteWise Recycling Program

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Sears Holdings Corporation (Nasdaq: SHLD) today announced a new agreement with WasteWise, the country's first national voluntary solid waste reduction program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  WasteWise encourages organizations to reduce municipal solid waste through waste prevention, recycling, and buying or manufacturing recycled products.

As a WasteWise partner, Sears Holdings pledges to continue to establish new waste-prevention activities, expand or improve its current recycling efforts, and purchase and/or manufacturer additional products with recycled content.  The programs Sears Holdings initiates as part of its participation in WasteWise will build on the successes of its established waste-prevention and recycling efforts to make these programs even stronger.

Sears Holdings currently recycles enough tires that when laid end-to-end would reach from Chicago to Washington, D.C., enough paper and cardboard to equal nearly half the weight of the Empire State Building and enough lead-acid batteries to equal the weight of 2,853 elephants!(1)

According to Michael Brown, director, environmental sustainability, "Our Environmental Sustainability, Environmental Affairs, Store Operations, and Procurement teams have been proactively working to implement sustainable solutions throughout Sears Holdings Corporation and its U.S. affiliates.  We hope our partnership with WasteWise will help us learn new techniques and best practices that will continue to reduce costs, preserve natural resources and protect the environment."

The WasteWise program has a broad and varied membership that reflects the makeup of corporate America.  More than 2,700 organizations have joined WasteWise since 1994, demonstrating their leadership in finding cost-effective ways to reduce waste.  WasteWise partners include many of the country's leading manufacturers, retailers and service firms, spanning more than 50 different industry sectors. The program also services federal, state and local governments, tribes and other non-corporate institutions. Joining WasteWise is another example of Sears Holdings' commitment to environmental sustainability.  For more information on additional green initiatives at Sears Holdings please visit us at http://www.sears.com/shc/s/dap_10153_12605_DAP_Green+SHC+Initiatives

About Sears Holdings Corporation

Sears Holdings Corporation is the nation's fourth largest broadline retailer with approximately 3,900 full-line and specialty retail stores in the United States and Canada.  Sears Holdings is the leading home appliance retailer as well as a leader in tools, lawn and garden, home electronics and automotive repair and maintenance.  Sears Holdings is the 2010 ENERGY STAR® Retail Partner of the Year. Key proprietary brands include Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard, and a broad apparel offering, including such well-known labels as Lands' End, Jaclyn Smith and Joe Boxer, as well as the Apostrophe and Covington brands.  It also has the Country Living collection, which is offered by Sears and Kmart.  We are the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 12 million service calls made annually.  Sears Holdings Corporation operates through its subsidiaries, including Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Kmart Corporation.  For more information, visit Sears Holdings' website at www.searsholdings.com.

SOURCE Sears Holdings Corporation