Hanesbrands Announces Environmental Goals, Responds to Earning EPA Award

Hanesbrands Inc., Winston-Salem, N.C., announced its worldwide goals to reduce energy use and carbon emissions as well as the launch of a corporate social responsibility Web site that details the company’s social- and environmental-stewardship programs.

Hanesbrands has goals to increase its usage of renewable energy to 30 percent of all energy used and to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 15 percent. The company has already exceeded its goal to reduce water usage by 10 percent.

The company’s accomplishments in strategic energy management have earned it an Energy Star 2010 Partner of the Year award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The company was recognized at an EPA awards ceremony on March 30 in Washington D.C.

“Hanesbrands has quietly become a leader in energy management and aspires to be an international apparel industry leader in overall environmental responsibility and stewardship,” Hanesbrands chairman and chief executive officer Richard A. Noll said. “Working in partnership with Energy Star to manage our energy use is good business. Using sustainable practices and conserving natural resources to help mitigate our environmental footprint and to reduce costs are strategic ways we are creating business value.”

As an Energy Star Partner of the Year, Hanesbrands was selected from among 17,000 organizations that participate in the program.

“Hanesbrands is leading the fight against climate change through greater energy efficiency,” said Gina McCarthy, EPA assistant administrator for air and radiation. “Hanesbrands’ robust energy management program is a model for others and affirms that energy efficiency is our most cost-effective climate strategy.”