11.28.2007 - 03:00pm ET

(CSRwire) RACINE, WI - November 28, 2007 – Innovation is not only the hallmark of SC Johnson's products, but also its efforts to continually improve the eco-efficiency of transporting those products to market. The company recently completed a transportation-logistics project that eliminated 1,882 tons of greenhouse gases (GHGs) over a 12 month period - the equivalent of making 90 two-person households carbon neutral for a year.

SC Johnson's Truckload Utilization Project created a system that combines multiple customer orders - and multiple products – to load the fullest, best configured trucks possible. The company recently completed the first year of executing the new system and the results are impressive: in addition to decreased GHGs, SC Johnson used 2,098 fewer trucks, cut fuel usage by 168,000 gallons and saved approximately $1.6 million.

"Loading a truck may seem simple, but making sure that a truck is truly 'full' is a science," said Pat Penman, SC Johnson's director, Global Environmental & Safety Actions. "Focusing on consistently hitting a trailer's maximum weight provided a huge opportunity to reduce our energy consumption, cut our greenhouse gas emissions and save money. It illustrates how innovation can drive prosperity and responsibility."

The Science of Truckloading

The project began with six months of thorough research, which resulted in an insightful discovery: SC Johnson was missing the benefits of loading trucks to their maximum weight capacity. The research showed that the different weights and sizes of various products have a profound effect on how a truck should be packed for maximum efficiency. For example, a truckload full of Ziploc(R) brand products was far below a truck's most efficient load weight, where as a smaller number of pallets of Windex(R) glass cleaner will hit the maximum weight target while leaving empty space in the trailer.

After completing its research, SC Johnson began strategically packing multiple products on the same load. In making this a standard process involving multiple departments, the company learned it could ensure the most efficient weight capacity is reached, thereby shipping the same amount of product using fewer trucks.

The company further enhanced it shipping efficiency by maximizing the use of "day cabs." A day cab, which is a truck cab with no sleeping compartment for the driver, is typically 3,000 pounds lighter than a standard truck cab. Using the lighter day cab enabled the company to increase the amount of product loaded into the truck's trailer before the vehicle's maximum weight was reached. The company now requires that day cabs are used for all regional shipments - those that can be completed in one work day – which further improves transportation efficiency.

Another opportunity to increase efficiency involved revising a customer incentive plan. Prior to this study, SC Johnson offered an incentive program that encouraged customers to order a minimum of two layers of every product with their shipments. That meant great product diversity in the orders, but it didn't drive efficient truckloads. By modifying this program so only one layer of product was required, SC Johnson was able to better combine products to maximize truckload utilization. It also cut the number of pallets needed, which further reduced the truck's weight and enabled more product to be loaded onto the trailer. Modifying the incentive program also benefited SC Johnson's customers by reducing their inventory and dock congestion.

A History of Environmental Leadership

For 121 years, SC Johnson has held steadfast to its environmental commitment and spirit of innovation. From being one of the first consumer products manufacturers to join the EPA's Climate Leaders program in 2002 to its leadership as the first company to remove chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) from all aerosol products - three years ahead of the 1978 U.S. mandate, SC Johnson continues to look for innovative ways to safeguard our shared environment. In 2001, SC Johnson devised the Greenlist(TM) process, a patented raw material rating system, to transform the way the company measures, tracks and advances its products to further the company's longstanding commitment to environmentally responsible products. Through the Greenlist(TM) process, SC Johnson continues to lead the way with responsible raw material choices.

People interested in learning more about SC Johnson's legacy of environmental stewardship can visit the company's new environment section of its corporate Web site at www.scjohnson.com The site highlights SC Johnson's key initiatives, provides in-depth discussions of topics with worldwide environmental impact, offers videos and interactive games and identifies ways consumers can lighten their environmental footprint and strengthen their own communities. Also, available for download on the site is SC Johnson's 2007 Public Report.

SC Johnson's Public Report captures insights on sustainable development through third-party Q&As on topics from the environment to social progress. For example, Janet Ranganathan, from the World Resources Institute shares her insights on the importance of addressing climate change. The report also provides information on
SC Johnson's sustainable development initiatives, including reaching more than 600,000 people in South Africa with malaria education, giving more than $160 million globally in philanthropic contributions toward efforts that improve quality of life, and being named among the Top 10 of FORTUNE magazine's 100 Best Companies to Work for in America for the third year in a row.

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, personal care and insect control. It markets such well-known brands as EDGE(R), GLADE(R), OFF!(R), PLEDGE(R), RAID(R), SCRUBBING BUBBLES(R), SHOUT(R), WINDEX(R) and ZIPLOC(R) in the U.S. and beyond, with brands marketed outside the U.S. including AUTAN(R), BAYGON(R), BRISE(R), ECHO(R), KABIKILLER(R), KLEAR(R), and MR. MUSCLE(R). The 121-year old company, with more than $7.5 billion in sales, employs approximately 12,000 people globally and sells products in more than 110 countries.

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