STAMFORD, Conn., Dec. 15 -- Pitney Bowes Inc. has been named by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) WasteWise program as a "Partner of the Year" in the Large Company category for the fourth year in a row. The 2004 award marks the seventh consecutive year in which the EPA has recognized Pitney Bowes for the company's significant accomplishments in recycling and solid waste reduction at its US facilities. The EPA launched WasteWise in 1994 as a voluntary partnership program to help businesses and institutions find practical methods to reduce municipal solid waste, increase materials reuse and recycling, and encourage the buying and manufacturing of products with recycled content. "We are proud that the EPA has recognized our efforts and accomplishments in the WasteWise program for seven years in a row, and especially with the award of the top prize in the Large Company category for the recent four years," said Michele Coleman Mayes, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Pitney Bowes, Inc. "Our strong environmental stewardship initiatives are important to all of our business constituents, including employees and shareholders. Incorporating environmentally friendly business practices into our products and services creates an additional value-add for customers, and is a key element of our customer-centric business strategy." Pitney Bowes, which initiated its own WasteWise Initiative in 1997, currently boasts 28 participating US facilities across four divisions. In 2003, the 28 participating US facilities reported a 77% rate of recycling (up from 72% in 2002), whereas most US municipalities, according to the EPA, are at an average 35% recycling rate. Over 2,380 tons of paper were recycled in 2003 by Pitney Bowes facilities that translates into the preservation of 40,475 trees, 9.6 million kilowatts of energy and the reduction of air pollutants by 71.3 tons. Part of PB Environmental Stewardship Initiative "Participation in the EPA WasteWise program is just a part of Pitney Bowes' award winning environmental strategy and portfolio of environmental initiatives which aid the company to reduce its environmental footprint," notes Billie Flaherty, VP Environment Health & Safety. Since the company formed its energy management team in 1997, for example, it has reduced energy consumption by over 18% (21% on a weather normalized basis). CO2 emissions have been reduced by 16.2% over the same period at 'home office' facilities, which include the primary US and UK office and manufacturing locations. Pitney Bowes has also converted all boilers to use natural gas as the primary heating fuel. Other activities aimed at reducing the company's corporate environmental footprint include: 75% of newly manufactured mailing machines are Energy Star certified, and 85% of Pitney Bowes-marketed products are captured in a product take-back program. The company's DMT facility in Danbury, CT received certification to ISO 14001 in October, 2003 becoming the firm's first U.S. facility to achieve ISO 14001 certification. Pitney Bowes' Harlow, U.K. facility received ISO 14001 certification in 1996. Pitney Bowes joins other national 2004 WasteWise Award winners that include Anheuser-Busch Companies, Canon USA, Guardian Automotive, Sandia National Laboratories, the US Postal Service-Northeast Region and the Walt Disney Company.