Significant Reductions in Energy Use, Greenhouse Gas Emissions Highlight Ball's Second Sustainability Report

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Jun 23, 2010, 11:00 ET

BROOMFIELD, Colo., June 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --


Report Highlights Ball invested more than $36 million in energy savings projects since 2007. The company reduced total energy use by 11 percent and improved energy efficiency per 1000 units produced by 9 percent since 2007. Ball's normalized greenhouse gas emissions have declined 13 percent since 2005. Ball's absolute water usage declined by 8.6 percent and water efficiency improved by 5.5 percent since 2007. The company improved its recordable accident rate by 39 percent since 2007.

Ball Corporation (NYSE: BLL) identified five sustainability priorities and described the company's sustainability vision and long-term direction in its second sustainability report, released today and available at www.ball.com/sustainability.

"Sustainability is connected directly to creating value for our stakeholders and for Ball," said R. David Hoover, Ball's chairman and chief executive officer. "Our second sustainability report and expanded online sustainability reporting provide details on the progress we have made over the past two years, and on our focus going forward as we continue to drive our economic, social and environmental performance."

Ball initiated a sustainability materiality analysis with key stakeholders in 2009 to help determine the company's sustainability priorities and ensure they were aligned with the wider supply chain for its products. A sustainability materiality analysis asks stakeholders to rank a variety of issues in order of importance to the stakeholder. After incorporating the feedback, Ball determined these five priorities and long-term directions:

Packaging: We will develop the lightest weight, most recycled, consumer-preferred packaging for the markets in which we compete.
Energy: We will significantly and cost-effectively reduce our energy consumption.
Water & Waste: We will reduce our water usage and send zero waste to landfills.
Safety: We will have zero accidents in our facilities.
Talent Management: We will recruit, develop and retain talented, diverse employees who share our core values and reflect our communities.

Ball's comprehensive 2010 sustainability reporting and the company's responses to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) reporting framework are available online at www.ball.com/sustainability. Ball issued its first sustainability report in 2008, which was selected as co-winner of the Best First-Time Reporter Award by Ceres and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). Since then, Ball has been selected for the FTSE4Good Index Series on the London Stock Exchange and the Corporate Responsibility Officer (CSO) annual 100 Best Corporate Citizens List.

Ball Corporation is a supplier of high-quality packaging for beverage, food and household products customers, and of aerospace and other technologies and services, primarily for the U.S. government. Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries employ more than 14,000 people worldwide and reported 2009 sales of more than $7.3 billion. For the latest Ball news and for other company information, please visit www.ball.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains "forward-looking" statements concerning future events and financial performance. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "estimates" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Key risks and uncertainties are summarized in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Exhibit 99.2 in our Form 10-K, which are available at our Web site and at www.sec.gov. Factors that might affect our packaging segments include fluctuation in product demand and preferences; availability and cost of raw materials; competitive packaging availability, pricing and substitution; changes in climate and weather; crop yields; competitive activity; failure to achieve anticipated productivity improvements or production cost reductions; mandatory deposit or other restrictive packaging laws; changes in major customer or supplier contracts or loss of a major customer or supplier; and changes in foreign exchange rates or tax rates. Factors that might affect our aerospace segment include: funding, authorization, availability and returns of government and commercial contracts; and delays, extensions and technical uncertainties affecting segment contracts. Factors that might affect the company as a whole include those listed plus: accounting changes; changes in senior management; the current global recession and its effects on liquidity, credit risk, asset values and the economy; successful or unsuccessful acquisitions, joint ventures or divestitures; integration of recently acquired businesses; regulatory action or laws including tax, environmental, health and workplace safety, including in respect of climate change, or chemicals or substances used in raw materials or in the manufacturing process; governmental investigations; technological developments and innovations; goodwill impairment; antitrust, patent and other litigation; strikes; labor cost changes; rates of return projected and earned on assets of the company's defined benefit retirement plans; pension changes; reduced cash flow; interest rates affecting our debt; and changes to unaudited results due to statutory audits or other effects.

SOURCE Ball Corporation