Sunny Delight Beverages Co. Releases Third Annual Sustainability Report Highlighting Company's Strides in Achieving Economic, Environmental and Social Sustainability

CINCINNATI, June 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- On Monday, Sunny Delight Beverages Co. (SDBC), a leading producer of fruit-based juices and juice drinks, released its third annual Sustainability Report, highlighting a growing list of accomplishments that showcase how the company's entrepreneurial spirit is achieving results that bring a positive impact to the environment, not just the bottom line. Committed to sustainable development, transparent communication and accountability, SDBC's Chief Sustainability Officer Ellen Iobst, and the company's Sustainability Steering Team, have focused the company's approach to sustainability on four areas:

• Reducing SDBC's environmental footprint
• Improving the wholesomeness of its product portfolio
• Focusing on delivering balanced growth—the hallmark of a successful company
• Enhancing the wellness of the company's employees and the communities in which they live, work and play

"Even after three years of a full-time commitment to making our world a better place for our children and our children's children, our commitment to sustainability continues to grow," said Ellen Iobst, chief sustainability officer and senior vice president, manufacturing and technology of Sunny Delight Beverages Co.  "Each time we see the benefits of a sustainability goal achieved, it inspires us to pursue an even more aggressive goal or another opportunity. It stimulates renewed creative energy and the passion to deliver increasingly stretching goals. After all, nothing strengthens commitment like the rewards of progress."  

The third annual SDBC Sustainability Report highlights how the company has met or exceeded many of its goals in three key areas of economic, environmental and social sustainability. Those achievements include:

• Environmental
  • Maintaining zero waste to landfill at all of the company's plants
  • Designing and introducing the  new, more environmentally friendly one-gallon QUAD SunnyD square bottle
  • Reducing the amount of plastic and packaging of company's products by 10 MM lbs
  • Shipping more than 90 percent of volume in full truckloads to reduce the Company's carbon footprint
  • Increasing the company's SmartWay Transport score
  • Reducing the average calories per serving from 92 calories in 2007 to 57.6 in 2010
• Social
  • Providing nearly $1 million in product and monetary donations
  • Providing school libraries across the nation with 300,000 books, valued at approximately $2.3 million
• Economic
  • Investing $70 million to strengthen company's supply chain, IT infrastructure and manufacturing capabilities
  • Lowering costs via "no touch" robotic warehousing at each plant
  • Enhancing beverage operations to become better capable of producing SDBC's entire brand portfolio and meeting retailer and consumer needs

"I am very proud of the way in which our employees continue to embrace environmental stewardship," continued Iobst. "We have a passion for protecting our planet and we will continue to seek creative solutions for improving all three pillars of sustainability. At SDBC, we truly believe in a piece of old Native American wisdom: 'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.' That is why everyone at Sunny Delight Beverages Co. is vitally committed to creating brighter todays and sunnier tomorrows for the next generation."

About Sunny Delight Beverages Co.

Sunny Delight Beverages Co. is one of the fastest growing, leading producers of juice-based drinks in North America.  It is dedicated to helping moms improve the vitality of their families by creating and marketing more wholesome beverages. The company's brands include SunnyD citrus punch, Fruit Simple fruit smoothies, Fruit2O flavored waters, Bossa Nova "superfruit" beverages, Veryfine 100% juices and juice drinks and Elations dietary supplement for joint health.  All SDBC plants have achieved zero waste to landfills.  For more information, log onto: ww2.sunnyd.com/company/overview.shtml.

SOURCE Sunny Delight Beverages Co.