SC Johnson to Receive World Environment Center's 2015 Gold Medal Award for Sustainable Development Achievements

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Dec 09, 2014, 09:49 ET

RACINE, Wis., Dec. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The World Environment Center (WEC) is pleased to announce that its 31st Annual Gold Medal for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development will be awarded to SC Johnson. The company is being recognized for its comprehensive, company-wide focus on sustainability and transparency initiatives, capped off by its rigorous "Greenlist process" to improve product ingredients. SC Johnson will accept the Gold Medal Award on Thursday, May 14, 2015, during the Gold Medal Presentation Ceremony in Washington, D.C.

The World Environment Center, headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices and operations in emerging and developed markets, is unique in its direct application of sustainable development strategies and practices to the business operations of global companies.

The SC Johnson Greenlist™ ingredient management process focuses on continuously improving chemicals in the company's products. When creating a new product or reformulation, the company aims to select raw materials rated "Better" or "Best," and when existing products are reformulated, the formulator must include ingredients that have ratings equal to or higher than the original formula. Developed in 2001, the SC Johnson Greenlist™ process also includes a robust reporting system that tracks scores at the product, division and corporate level. The company's goal is to increase, year-on-year, the percentage of ingredients that has a lower impact on the environment and human health.

In conjunction with its Greenlist™ process, the company recently published its restricted use materials list, which is used by product formulators. It also announced plans to expand its industry-leading ingredient disclosure program by providing product-specific fragrance ingredients and plans to launch the program in Europe next year.

This is the second time that SC Johnson has been awarded WEC's Gold Medal, having previously received it in 1994.

In summarizing the decision of the Gold Medal Jury, Chair Kathy Sierra stated that, "On behalf of the independent Jury members, I extend my sincere congratulations to SC Johnson for its impressive and longstanding commitment to sustainability. The company has demonstrated continuous improvement over its long history, and has gone above and beyond expected corporate commitments with programs that integrate sustainability into the core of its business values and implementation."

In acknowledging receipt of the longest standing and most prestigious global sustainability award, SC Johnson Chairman and CEO H. Fisk Johnson stated that, "We are extremely proud to accept this Gold Medal Award. At SC Johnson, we have long believed that sustainability and helping consumers make the best product choices go hand-in-hand. It is especially rewarding to be recognized for our Greenlist™ process. In addition to driving ongoing product improvements, it has fueled a far-reaching ingredient disclosure effort. These transparency initiatives are fundamental for the company and help us earn the trust of families buying our products."

The World Environment Center's Gold Medal for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development was established in 1985 to recognize significant industry initiatives in global environmental excellence and sustainable development. Recent recipients of the WEC Gold Medal Award are: Volkswagen (2014), Unilever (2013), IBM (2012), Nestle (2011), Wal-Mart Stores (2010), The Coca-Cola Company (2009), and Marks & Spencer (2008).

The Gold Medal Jury is independent of WEC and its programs, and is composed of international leaders from academia, government, non-governmental organizations and retired industry professionals.

About SC Johnson

SC Johnson is a family company 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, pest control and shoe care. It markets such well-known brands as GLADE®, KIWI®, OFF!®, PLEDGE®, RAID®, SCRUBBING BUBBLES®, SHOUT®, WINDEX® and ZIPLOC® in the U.S. and beyond, with brands marketed outside the U.S. including AUTAN®, TANA®, BAMA®, BAYGON®, BRISE®, KABIKILLER®, KLEAR®, MR MUSCLE®, and RIDSECT®. The 128-year-old company generates $9 billion in sales, employs nearly 13,000 people globally and sells products in virtually every country around the world. www.scjohnson.com

About the World Environment Center

The World Environment Center, headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices and operations in emerging and developed markets, is unique in its direct application of sustainable development strategies and practices to the business operations of global companies. WEC creates sustainable business solutions through individual projects in emerging markets; convenes leadership roundtables to shape strategic thinking across a range of sustainability topics with a specific focus on the preparation of business leaders to implement sustainability; and honors industry excellence through its annual Gold Medal Award. An independent non-profit organization, WEC conducts no advocacy activities. For more information, please visit www.wec.org

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