Greif Chief Sustainability Officer To Address The Challenges Of Water Transport At The Aid And International Development Forum

DELAWARE, Ohio, June 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Scott Griffin, chief sustainability officer of Greif, Inc. (NYSE: GEF, GEF.B) will join other international leaders on the Water & Sanitation panel at the Aid and International Development Forum on June 6 in Washington, DC.  An expert in sustainable packaging and community engagement, Griffin will talk about humanitarian and health issues connected to the transport of water in jerry cans in disaster zones and developing nations.

Griffin will address challenges that families face carrying clean water home; how products to improve water transportation can also create local jobs; and what Greif has learned in the development and distribution of innovative water backpacks in Haiti. 

Greif Inc. was one of the first companies to devote time and resources to support long-term recovery efforts in Haiti after the January 2010 earthquake. 

UNICEF estimates that women and children in developing nations spend 200 million hours daily collecting water, often from distant sources, and then carrying it home, often in discarded jerry cans and buckets that were used to contain lubricants, agrichemicals or fuel oils.

Building upon its expertise in industrial packaging innovation, Greif developed a lightweight, durable water container – the WaterWear™ backpack - to address personal water transport issues.  The backpack is more ergonomic than buckets for women and children to carry, even when filled to capacity with 20 liters.  It could also be assembled locally in developing nations.

To support recovery in Haiti, Greif partnered with the Clinton Global Initiative, Partners in Health, Prodev and Partners in Education.  The backpack has subsequently been tested in Guatemala. 

To learn more about the backpacks and how to support their distribution, visit www.backthepack.com.  

About Greif, Inc.

Greif is a world leader in industrial packaging products and services. The company produces steel, plastic, fibre, flexible, intermediate bulk, corrugated, reconditioned and multiwall containers and containerboard, and provides filling, packaging, industrial packaging reconditioning and land management consulting services for a wide range of industries. Greif also manages timber properties in North America. The company is strategically positioned in more than 55 countries to serve global as well as regional customers. Additional information is on the company's website at www.greif.com.

SOURCE Greif, Inc.

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