HARTSVILLE, S.C., Sept. 15, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sonoco (NYSE:SON), one of the largest diversified global packaging companies, has been listed on the 2014/2015 Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI), marking the sixth consecutive year it has received the prestigious recognition – the longest consecutive streak of any packaging company currently listed on the index. Only 319 global component companies were selected to the DJSI World Index following an in-depth analysis of financially material economic, environmental and social practices by RobecoSAM's Corporate Sustainability Assessment of more than 3,000 invited companies.
"Only four global packaging companies were recognized with listings on DJSI indices in 2014 and I'm proud to say that Sonoco has the longest consecutive streak of any packaging company currently listed on the DJSI World Index," said Jack Sanders, Sonoco president and CEO. "2014 marks Sonoco's 115th birthday and our long-standing commitment to corporate responsibility and sustainability has never been stronger. Being selected to the DJSI World Index for six consecutive years is clearly a humbling honor for the Company and its employees. More importantly it recognizes our dedication to reducing the environmental footprint from our global operations, providing a safe and healthy workplace for our employees, developing innovative packaging and recycling solutions to meet our customers' sustainability goals and contributing to the communities where we operate."
From the assessment, Sonoco received industry-leading scores in Anti-Trust Policy, Corporate Citizenship and Philanthropy; Occupational Health and Safety; Talent Attraction and Retention; Code of Conduct Compliance and Corruption and Bribery Policy and Practices. More details about Sonoco's global corporate responsibility and sustainability efforts, including the Company's recently released 2013/2014 Corporate Responsibility Report are available at www.sonoco.com/sustainability.
Launched in 1999, DJSI were the first global indices to track the financial performance of the leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide in terms of economic, environmental and social criteria. The indices serve as benchmarks for investor who integrate sustainability considerations into their investment strategies, and provide an effective platform for companies who want to adopt sustainable best practices. A total of 46 companies were deleted from DJSI World Index and 32 were added in 2014. All changes to DJSI indices are effective on September 22, 2014.
About Sonoco
Founded in 1899, Sonoco is a global provider of a variety of consumer packaging, industrial products, protective solutions, and displays and packaging supply chain services. With annualized net sales of approximately $4.9 billion, the Company has 19,900 employees working in 335 operations in 33 countries, serving many of the world's best known brands in some 85 nations. Sonoco is a proud member of the 2014/2015 Dow Jones Sustainability World Index. For more information on the Company, visit our website at www.sonoco.com.