Sonoco Summarizes Sustainability Progress in Its 2013-14 Corporate Responsibility Report

HARTSVILLE, S.C., July 23, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sonoco (NYSE: SON), one of the largest diversified global packaging companies, today released its 2013-14 Corporate Responsibility Report, Principle, People and Progress, outlining the Company's continued progress towards achieving its global sustainability targets.

"The progress highlighted in this report is a testament to our people," said Jack Sanders, president and CEO. "Throughout Sonoco's115-year history, we've held firmly to the principle that People Build Businesses. As we enter the next 115 years, we will continue to follow our guiding principle of doing the right thing as we seek progress in all areas of economic, environmental and social responsibility."

Sanders added, "One area of significant progress to note is our work to reduce normalized greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 15% by year-end 2014. As of the end of 2013, we had reduced GHG emissions by 13.8%. We believe we will surpass this goal now that the Company's $75 million biomass boiler cogeneration system in our hometown of Hartsville has become operational."

Other highlights from the report include:

• We reduced normalized landfill by 3.16% and have 26 plants diverting 95% or more from landfills. Ten of those plants are sending less than 1% to landfills.
• Sonoco Recycling recovered the equivalent by weight of more than half (63%) of the products Sonoco places into the marketplace.
• Our supplier diversity spend increased to 8.8% of total vendor spend in 2013.
• The Sonoco Foundation contributed nearly $2.6 million to 65 nonprofit organizations supporting education, health and welfare, environment, cultural and civic organizations.
• We donated $45,000 to assist local home fire victims through the American Red Cross.
• We provided a 45.2% total return, nearly 30% better than the return on the S&P 500.
• The Company was listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for a fifth consecutive year.
• Sonoco was named one of America's 100 Most Trustworthy Companies 2014 by Forbes magazine.

The report's content is defined by Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G3 Guidelines, which form a voluntary framework of principles and indicators that Sonoco uses to measure and report economic, environmental and social performance.

To download the report, visit the Sustainability section of our website.

About Sonoco

Founded in 1899, Sonoco is a global provider of a variety of consumer packaging, industrial products, protective packaging and packaging supply chain services. With annualized net sales of approximately $4.9 billion, the Company has more than 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 2013/2014 Dow Jones Sustainability World Index. For more information on the Company, visit our website at www.sonoco.com.

CONTACT: Roger Schrum
         +843-339-6018
         [email protected]

Source: Sonoco Products Company

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