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NORTHBROOK, IL — ������ý kicked off Earth Day, Friday, April 22, 2016, by signing agreements with Energy Star and SmartWay, two U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) programs, according to a press release.

As an Energy Star Partner, ������ý will encourage its members to measure and track the energy performance of their facilities where possible by using tools such as those offered through Energy Star; develop and implement plans consistent with the Energy Star Energy Management Guidelines to achieve energy savings; and promote the importance of energy efficiency to their staff and their communities.

Thanks to a similar but separate EPA agreement, ������ý is also now a SmartWay Affiliate. As such, ������ý will educate its members about how SmartWay can help them reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution associated with freight transport and overall transportation functions by improving efficiency, streamlining freight supply chain operations, and achieving economic and environmental savings in the process.

“������ý’s new connections with Energy Star and SmartWay offer members many opportunities to develop more sustainable and environmentally conscious practices and systems,” ������ý Executive Director John Barrett said. “These partnerships will also be good for members from a financial point: Cutting energy consumption saves money, and today, many customers are eager to do business with companies that are socially responsible.”

Steve Ashkin, president of The Ashkin Group and founder of the Green Cleaning Network, who was a driving force behind the partnership, agrees.

“Based on what we’ve learned from EPA’s Energy Star, SmartWay Transport, and other programs, ������ý’s distributor members can save US$42 million annually on energy, fuel, and other operating expenses,” he says. “Plus, from an environmental perspective, these savings equate to removing 34,000 cars from the road or planting 4 million trees. This program truly is a win for ������ý members and a win for the future.”