Johnson & Johnson Recognized for Leadership in Green Health Care

In recognition of its leadership in green health care, today Johnson & Johnson was awarded four Champion of Change Awards, at the 2012 CleanMed Conference.  The award recognizes businesses that demonstrate successful accomplishments in "greening" their own organization and have assisted their healthcare facility clients in improving their environmental performance.  The awards were presented to Johnson & Johnson, and its operating companies, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics Inc., Cordis Corporation, and Sterilmed Inc.

Sterilmed, acquired by one of Johnson & Johnson's operating companies last year, is an important addition to the Company's efforts to make health care more sustainable.  Sterilmed allows hospitals to reduce the amount of waste they produce while cutting costs, by extending the life of medical devices and hospital equipment.  The environmental footprint of medical devices, both in terms of production and disposal can be significant.  By reprocessing what were previously one time use devices, health care facilities are able to make important reductions in their environmental impact.

Johnson & Johnson's commitment to sustainability began nearly 70 years ago when then Chairman, Robert Wood Johnson, penned the Johnson & Johnson Credo, a document that would act as the moral compass for the Company up to the present day.  In "Our Credo" Johnson wrote, “We are responsible to the communities in which we live and work and to the world community as well…We must maintain in good order the property we are privileged to use, protecting the environment and natural resources.” 

Since that time, Johnson & Johnson has been committed to acting as a responsible steward of the environment.  Setting its first environmental target over 20 years ago, the Company has set forth an increasingly ambitious sustainability agenda culminating with the launch of the 2015 Healthy Future Goals. The Healthy Future Goals build on previous environmental goal setting, and incorporate social and transparency related goals as well.  Environmental sustainability related Healthy Future Goals include targets for reductions in waste, water and CO2 emissions in addition to targets for increasing onsite renewable and clean energy.

As part of its commitment to sustainable health care, Johnson & Johnson is supporting the 2012 CleanMed conference as its first ever international sponsor.  The conference brings together leaders in health care to find solutions to today's complex health care sustainability issues. At the conference the Company has shared insights into its energy efficiency and carbon reduction programs, as well as its proprietary process for developing and marketing greener products, Earthwards®.

To learn more about Johnson & Johnson's commitment to sustainable heath care, visit www.jnj.com/responsibility.  You can also follow the discussion from CleanMed on Twitter by following @JNJstories and #CleanMed.