xpedx Surpasses ENERGY STAR Goal for 2011

CINCINNATI, Sept. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- xpedx has exceeded its goal of earning the ENERGY STAR in eight large distribution locations within the U.S. by the end of 2011. In September, xpedx locations in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Hebron, Ky. achieved the certification – and were the eighth and ninth xpedx locations to do so. xpedx, a business of International Paper, is one of the largest and premier distribution companies in North America. ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

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"By surpassing our ENERGY STAR goal for 2011, xpedx has demonstrated that we are a sustainability leader in not only the products we sell, but how we run our operations," said Dave Wallace, xpedx's director, Sustainability. "xpedx is a sustainable link in the supply chains of our customers. We're taking an active role in responsible stewardship of natural resources today and for many generations to come."

The ENERGY STAR achievement builds upon xpedx's commitment to maintain sustainable operations, offer sustainable product choices and provide leadership in sustainable business practices for its customers and suppliers.

"ENERGY STAR is one of several sustainability initiatives at xpedx. We pursued the site certification because our customers and suppliers want to do business with a distributor who demonstrates environmental leadership," said Mary Laschinger, president, xpedx. "With that comes a responsibility to continuously improve our own stewardship efforts and help our business partners to continue achieving their sustainability goals."

xpedx's Cincinnati facility and its Saalfeld operations in Hebron earned the ENERGY STAR by scoring in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency. Scoring is based on the U.S. EPA's and Department of Energy's energy performance rating system.

xpedx's ENERGY STAR-qualified sites save money and protect the environment because they meet strict energy performance standards, use less energy, are less expensive to operate and cause fewer greenhouse gas emissions than peer facilities.

In 2011, xpedx has earned the ENERGY STAR at some of its largest distribution centers in Atlanta, Ga.; Clifton, N.J.; Denver, Colo.; Downey, Calif.; Livonia, Mich.; Portland, Ore.; and Wilmington, Mass., with the Hebron site as its largest with nearly 500,000 square feet. The Cincinnati site has 295,000 square feet. The combined area of the nine xpedx locations that have qualified for the ENERGY STAR is more than 2.4 million square feet.

Earlier in this year, xpedx also became an "ENERGY STAR partner," which indicates that it is tracking its energy consumption and carbon footprint and improving its operating costs through energy saving strategies. xpedx supports the ENERGY STAR challenge to improve the energy efficiency of America's commercial and industrial buildings by at least 10 percent and spread the word about the importance of energy efficiency to its employees and communities where it operates.

xpedx's achievement with ENERGY STAR is part of a larger string of sustainability successes for the business this year, which include:

• Earning the U.S. EPA's SmartWay(SM) Transport Partner Certificate, reflecting its commitment to improve the environmental performance of its fleet of 700 trucks.
• Implementing a national recycling program to reduce its waste by 10 percent annually by the end of three years.
• Developing a sustainability survey and scorecard that it began applying to its supply chain this year.

About ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy that helps to save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices.

About xpedx

Cincinnati, Ohio-based xpedx, a business of International Paper (NYSE: IP), is one of the largest and premier distribution companies in North America. xpedx distributes a wide variety of print, packaging and facility solutions supplies and equipment to printers, manufacturers, retailers and commercial facilities from locations across North America. For more information about xpedx, its business segments and stewardship efforts visit xpedx.com.

International Paper and xpedx are registered trademarks of International Paper Company. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Contact:
Rick Ouellette, vice president, communications, xpedx
513-965-2790 / 901-573-4002
[email protected]

SOURCE xpedx