3.31.2008 - 09:30am ET

(CSRwire) GAITHERSBURG, MD - March 31, 2008 — Proving that simple acts can have a big impact, Sodexo announced today that after only one year, its switch to recycled napkins in 1,300 foodservice operations nationwide has resulted in saving nearly ten million gallons of water, more than 23,000 trees, half a million gallons of oil and five and a half million kilowatts of energy. The company began using two types of recycled napkins last year as part of a commitment to leadership in sustainability and to providing environment-friendly practices.

Energy was saved because less power is used to recycle paper products than to create them from virgin material – enough was saved through the napkin program to power 600 American homes for an entire year! In addition, more than half a million gallons of oil were saved – 38 tanker trucks worth – and 41 tons of pollutants were kept out of the environment. Further, 4,131 cubic yards of paper were diverted from landfill space. This is enough to cover an entire football field with a two and a half feet deep stack of paper.

"These recycled products and dispensers that reduce waste are simple, easy and effective ways that Sodexo is helping our clients to be more environmentally responsible. These calculations demonstrate how little things add up to a truly significant impact by implementing environmental programs across our company," said Arlin S. Wasserman, vice president for corporate citizenship for Sodexo. "Part of Sodexo's sustainability commitment is to continually seek out and offer our clients effective ways that we can work together to help protect our environment."

In addition, Sodexo is bringing the Xpressnap(R) napkin program to its client sites, which creates additional environmental savings. The program has resulted in a 25 to 50 percent reduction in the actual number of paper napkins used thanks to new dispensers that dispense a single napkin at a time.

The calculations are made by the Recycled Products Cooperative (RPC), which says that each ton of 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper that displaces a ton of virgin fiber paper saves 7,000 gallons of water, 4,100 kilowatt hours of electricity and prevents 60 pounds of pollutants from entering the atmosphere. In addition, use of recycled products helps protect wildlife habitat, diverts useful items from landfills (which saves both space and money), and helps preserve the earth's natural beauty.

Sodexo has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, World Index, and STOXX Sustainability Index for three consecutive years. This year, Dow Jones also recognized the company as a supersector worldwide leader on sustainability. Sodexo's corporate citizenship priorities include fighting hunger and malnutrition, improving the quality of life of our customers and employees, promoting health and wellness, conducting ethical business, and promoting sustainability. Sodexo’s food and environmental platform in North America focuses on sourcing and providing locally grown foods, improving nutrition, promoting local economies, energy conservation and carbon reduction, reducing the use of toxic chemicals, integrated waste management and minimizing packaging.

About Sodexo, Inc.

Sodexo, Inc. (www.sodexo.com) is a leading integrated food and facilities management services company in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with $7.3 billion (USD) in annual revenue and 120,000 employees. Sodexo, Inc. serves more than ten million customers daily in corporations, health care, long term care and retirement centers, schools, college campuses, government and remote sites. Sodexo, Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., is a member of Sodexo Group, and funds the Sodexo Foundation (www.helpstophunger.org), an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $9.2 million in grants to fight hunger in America.

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