Lowe's is First Retailer to Repeat as WaterSense Partner of Year
EPA Awards Lowe's Highest Honor for Water-Efficiency Achievements in
2009
MOORESVILLE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has named Lowe's the
WaterSense(R) Retailer Partner of the Year for the second year
in a row. Lowe's, the first retailer to win the honor in consecutive
years, was recognized for its leadership in promoting water efficiency
and raising awareness of the WaterSense label across the country.
"To be awarded WaterSense Retailer Partner of the Year for the second
consecutive year reinforces our commitment to deliver innovative product
solutions that benefit our customers and the environment," said Nick
Canter, Lowe's executive vice president of merchandising. "Lowe's offers
retail's largest in-stock selection of WaterSense products, and this
award encourages us to continue to do more to help our customers save
water and money."
Launched in 2006, WaterSense is an EPA-sponsored program that seeks to
protect the future of our nation's water supply with the help of more
than 2,000 partners across the United States. The EPA honored Lowe's and
three other Partners of the Year for contributing to the program's
success by enhancing the market for water-efficient products, programs
and practices. The awards were presented Wednesday at the WaterSmart
Innovations Conference in Las Vegas.
"These partners contributed significantly to our efforts to make
WaterSense-labeled products a household fixture in 2009," said Peter S.
Silva, EPA's assistant administrator for water. "They also helped
consumers who purchased these products save 36 billion gallons of water
and more than $267 million in water and sewer bills in 2009."
Lowe's, a WaterSense partner since 2008, has increased its efforts each
year in stores and online to help customers improve the overall
efficiency of their homes. In addition to the 2010 WaterSense Partner of
the Year Award, the EPA honored Lowe's in March for its long-standing
commitment to energy efficiency by naming the company the first winner
of the ENERGY STAR(R) Sustained Excellence Award in Retail.
Lowe's success educating consumers about water efficiency has helped
conserve water for future generations while helping families save on
utility bills. The EPA estimates that the number of WaterSense-labeled
toilets and bathroom faucets Lowe's sold in 2009 can save customers $13
million each year on water bills and more than 2.4 billion gallons of
water annually - enough water to fill more than 3,600 Olympic-sized
swimming pools. Visit Lowes.com/EfficientHome
to learn more about Lowe's commitment to help consumers find everyday
ways to save water, energy and money.
Lowe's achievements in delivering water-efficiency savings to customers
in 2009 included:
-- Increasing the quantity and variety of WaterSense products available in
more than 1,700 stores, including nearly tripling the number of
WaterSense-qualified toilets in stock.
-- Promoting WaterSense as a way to save water and money to approximately
15 million customers per week through in-store efforts that included
enhanced employee training and signage.
-- Launching a Build Your Savings program, along with a website and home
audit tool, to demonstrate how simple it is to save water, energy and
money. Lowe's distributed nearly one million Build Your Savings Guides
to help customers find money-saving products.
-- Supporting tax-free events for WaterSense products, increasing national
promotions and teaming with Kohler, a fellow 2009 WaterSense Partner of
the Year, to offer customers additional discounts.
Lowe's continues to make it easier for consumers to improve the
efficiency of their home by providing daily savings tips throughout
Energy Awareness Month in October at Lowes.com/31Ways,
and the company remains dedicated to reducing water and energy use
across its operations. Find out more about Lowe's water-efficiency
efforts and other environmental initiatives at Lowes.com/SocialResponsibility.
About Lowe's
With fiscal year 2009 sales of $47.2 billion, Lowe's Companies, Inc. is
a FORTUNE(R) 50 company that serves approximately 15 million customers a
week at more than 1,725 home improvement stores in the United States,
Canada and Mexico. Founded in 1946 and based in Mooresville, N.C.,
Lowe's is the second-largest home improvement retailer in the world. For
more information, visit Lowes.com.
Source: Lowe's