Ziploc® and Recyclebank® Introduce First-of-Its-Kind Initiative to Offset More Than 100 Million Pounds of Waste

RACINE, Wis., Feb. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 90 percent of Americans want to protect the environment(1) but only 33 percent of trash in the U.S. is actually being recycled, while 54 percent gets buried in landfills.(2) To help reverse that trend and offset its potential product waste, the Ziploc® Brand is introducing a first-of-its-kind program with Recyclebank®, the leading sustainable action platform that motivates and enables individuals to make a collective impact on the environment. The initiative will encourage and inspire families to increase recycling behavior to divert more than 100 million pounds of waste from landfills within 24 months. This is a step toward SC Johnson's larger goal to, one day, achieve no waste.

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"Families trust Ziploc® Brand products as a resource to get more out of their daily lives, and we know these families, like us, are committed to doing the right thing for the environment," says John Peoples, Director-Home Storage, SC Johnson. "From offering recyclable products to diverting other waste from landfills through increased curbside recycling, our goal is to keep waste out of landfills – by working together, we can make a bigger impact than on our own."

Beginning with Corpus Christi, Texas, Ziploc® aims to sponsor the expansion of Recyclebank's impactful rewards-for-recycling platform into enough new U.S. communities to keep approximately the same amount of other waste – including glass, metals, paper and plastic – out of landfills as the amount of potential waste, measured by weight, generated by Ziploc®. This initiative is part of a larger recycling program and builds on ongoing Ziploc® efforts to lessen its environmental footprint.

"At Recyclebank®, we know that incentivizing families can help inspire change, and through our partnership with Ziploc®, we continue to increase our commitment to motivate and reward consumers for taking sustainable actions," said Ian Yolles, Chief Sustainability Officer, Recyclebank®.  "We know there is not always a practical solution for brands to reduce their landfill contribution and environmental impact, and it is through partnerships like this that we are able to expand our recycling programs and work towards a goal of realizing a world where nothing is wasted."

Ziploc® Brand Bags Are Now Recyclable

Ziploc® is making it easier for families to get involved and recycle. Currently, clean and dry Ziploc® Brand Sandwich, Storage and Freezer Bags can be recycled at in-store bins at approximately 18,000 participating retail locations that accept plastic shopping bags for recycling.  Additionally, Ziploc® Brand Containers are made from polypropylene that is recyclable in a limited but growing number of communities via traditional recycling programs.  

Consumers whose communities are not yet serviced by Recyclebank® can still be rewarded for taking positive action. Within the next two months, they will be able to receive Recyclebank rewards points when they pledge to recycle Ziploc® bags and packaging by entering the code from inside specially marked packages of Ziploc® Brand Sandwich and Snack Bags.  

Ziploc® Brand Sustainability Initiatives

The partnership with Recyclebank® is another step in Ziploc® Brand's ongoing sustainability efforts; it continues to take more strides to minimize the environmental footprint of its products across the entire lifecycle – from the materials sourced, to the energy used during manufacture and transport, to the way the products are disposed.

Other initiatives include:

• Launching Ziploc® evolve™ bags in 2009, which use 25 percent less plastic than the same size regular Ziploc® Brand Bags and are partially made with wind energy
• Offering bag and container recyclability
• Producing containers that can be used multiple times
• Manufacturing many Ziploc® products in Bay City, Mich., using a combination of renewable wind energy and energy from traditional sources

For more information about Ziploc's sustainability efforts, visit www.ziploc.com/sustainability

SC Johnson Sustainability Leadership

SC Johnson has been committed to reducing its environmental footprint for decades and has set specific goals every five years for the last two decades. Currently, the company is working against firm goals to reduce waste and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and utilize alternative renewable energy sources by 2011.  Seventy-five percent of these objectives had already been met by the end of 2009.

To learn more about SC Johnson's commitment to sustainability and view its 2010 public report, visit www.scjohnson.com

About Ziploc® Brand Bags and Containers

Ziploc® Brand Bags and Containers are not formulated with BPA and provide smart, quality solutions that help families get more out of the things they do every day. Ziploc® Brand products are available in a variety of sizes, shapes and seals with suggested retail prices ranging from $1.09 to $4.59. Ziploc® Brand products are available in grocery, mass merchandise and drug stores nationwide.

About SC Johnson

SC Johnson is a family-owned and managed business dedicated to innovative, high-quality products, excellence in the workplace and a long-term commitment to the environment and the communities in which it operates. Based in the USA, the company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household cleaning products and products for home storage, air care, and insect control. It markets such well-known brands as GLADE®, OFF!®, PLEDGE®, RAID®, SCRUBBING BUBBLES®, SHOUT®, WINDEX® and ZIPLOC® in the U.S. and beyond, with brands marketed outside the U.S. including AUTAN®, BAYGON®, BRISE®, KABIKILLER®, KLEAR®, and MR. MUSCLE®. The 125-year-old company, with more than $8 billion in sales, employs approximately 12,000 people globally and sells products in virtually every country around the world. www.scjohnson.com

About Recyclebank®

Recyclebank® is the leading environmental social platform that realizes the collective impact of individual action. Through its digital offerings and partnerships with municipalities, haulers, small businesses and corporate brands, Recyclebank® incentivizes green actions with points that can be redeemed for discounts and rewards. By educating, engaging and empowering its community online and offline, Recyclebank® aims to encourage a more sustainable lifestyle by increasing household recycling, reducing household energy usage and motivating individuals and communities to take other environmentally preferred actions. Recognized as a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum, a Champion of the Earth by the United Nations Environment Programme, and for Outstanding Excellence in Public/Private Partnerships from the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Recyclebank® is headquartered in New York City. For more information, visit www.Recyclebank.com.

SOURCE SC Johnson