WASHINGTON, DC. - December 15, 2008 - The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency's Design For Environment program awarded the Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG) its highest level of recognition, Champion, for P&G's work in developing safer detergents under the Safer Detergents Stewardship Initiative (SDSI).

"We're proud to be recognized for P&G's continuing efforts in creating products that deliver outstanding cleaning performance, and are safe for both people and the environment," stated Dr. Darius Sabaliunas, of P&G's Product Safety group.

The Champion Level is the highest award given by the EPA's Design for Environment (DfE) group, through its Safer Detergent Stewardship Initiative. DfE works in partnership with a broad range of stakeholders to reduce risk to people and the environment by preventing pollution. DfE focuses on industries that combine the potential for chemical risk reduction and improvements in energy efficiency with a strong motivation to make lasting, positive changes.

The Safer Detergent Stewardship Initiative recognizes corporate environmental leaders who voluntarily commit to the use of safer detergent surfactants. Surfactants enable the cleaning agents in detergents to get at grease and soils. Safer surfactants are those that break down quickly into non-polluting compounds. This helps protect aquatic life in both salt and fresh water.

"We're pleased to be partnering with EPA on this groundbreaking initiative," said Dr. Len Sauers, Vice President for Corporate Sustainability at Procter & Gamble. "We have a long track record of responsible environmental stewardship, and are committed to making the lives of consumers around the world better, now and for generations to come, with products that deliver the best performance while protecting the environment."

For more information about Design for Environment and the Safer Detergents Stewardship Initiative (SDSI) Award, please visit www.epa.gov/dfe/index.htm

About Procter & Gamble
Three billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers(R), Tide(R), Ariel(R), Always(R), Whisper(R), Pantene(R), Mach3(R), Bounty(R), Dawn(R), Gain(R), Pringles(R), Charmin(R), Downy(R), Lenor(R), Iams(R), Crest(R), Oral-B(R), Actonel(R), Duracell(R), Olay(R), Head & Shoulders(R), Wella(R), Gillette(R), Braun(R) and Fusion(R). The P&G community includes approximately 138,000 employees working in over 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

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P&G defines our commitment to sustainable development as "ensuring a better quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come." We have a long heritage as a sustainability leader and we remain committed to improving consumers' lives through P&G brands and by contributing to the sustainability of our planet and the communities in which we live and work.

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