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Two Florida businesses Recognized for Improving Fuel Economy, Reducing Greenhouse Gases

Release Date: 10/24/2007
Contact Information: Dawn Harris-Young, EPA Media Relations, (404)562-8421

(Atlanta, GA – Oct. 24, 2007) – Two Florida companies were among 34 businesses honored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at a ceremony this week during the annual conference of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals in Philadelphia. The 2007 SmartWay Excellence award winners were recognized for environmental leadership in reducing fuel consumption and lowering greenhouse-gas emissions from big trucks.

The award-winning Florida companies CSX, based in Jacksonville, and Office Depot in Delray Beach are part of EPA’s SmartWay® Transport Partnership, an innovative collaboration between EPA and the freight industry to increase energy efficiency while significantly reducing greenhouse gases and air pollution.

CSX of Jacksonville is an international transportation company offering rail, container-shipping, intermodal, trucking and contract logistics. Over 50 % of CSX’s current fleet is equipped with one or more fuel saving technologies. CSX met or exceeded each of their Action Plan targets for 2006/2007, and the company has developed an innovative horsepower reduction kit that produces significant fuel savings and lower emissions. This kit is currently installed on a significant number of the locomotives in its fleet, with more planned in coming years.

Florida-based partner, Office Depot, was the first SmartWay shipper to attempt to calculate its entire transportation emissions footprint, including the emissions from all of its contract carriers, and plans to annually track and improve this emissions footprint. Office Depot is also addressing the emissions from its own fleet by replacing larger box vans with more efficient delivery vehicles. To promote awareness of the benefits of SmartWay, Office Depot developed a case study highlighting its experiences as both a shipper and carrier, and promotes its participation to shareholders in the company’s annual Sustainability Report.

EPA launched SmartWay in 2004 to address the environmental and economic challenges surrounding growth in the freight industry. Through the program, EPA is now working with more than 600 businesses to improve both their bottom line and the environment by offering technical assistance, tools for evaluating opportunities to lower fuel use and emissions, and help in locating financing for the purchase of fuel-saving equipment and technology.

Because of three-year commitments to upgrade their trucks with auxiliary power units, energy efficient tires, enhanced trailer aerodynamics, and other improvements, SmartWay partners are saving 600 million gallons of diesel fuel -- a cost benefit of almost $2 billion -- and eliminating nearly seven million metric tons of carbon-dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming.

For more information on the SmartWay Transport Partnership and the achievements of its awardees: epa.gov/smartway/awards07.htm