Munich. The SAM Group today published its latest evaluation for the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (DJSI). For the fifth consecutive year, it rated the BMW Group as the leader in its industry, making it the world’s most sustainable automobile manufacturer. The BMW Group is the only company in the automobile industry to have been listed in this important sustainability index family every year since it was established in 1999.

“We are delighted that the BMW Group is super sector leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index World for the fifth consecutive year.This proves once again that we are well on our way to establishing sustainability as the guiding principle for all our processes. We refined our sustainability strategy in the first half of 2009 – this was the next logical step and another important milestone,” said Dr. Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG.

The Board of Management of the BMW Group declared sustainability one of the company’s core strategic principles back in 2000. At the BMW Group corporate sustainability is firmly entrenched throughout the entire value chain: from the development of fuel-saving and alternative vehicle concepts through clean production processes to green recycling practices. The BMW Group also accepts responsibility for its roughly 100,000 employees and is involved in social projects outside of its plants.

In recent months the BMW Group has taken further important steps towards further improving sustainability. Each and every proposal today is measured against the corporate goal of sustainability. At the highest management level a Sustainability Board was established in summer 2009. This board, which comprises the entire Board of Management, determines the strategic alignment for sustainability issues. Twice a year it meets to discuss and adopt the strategies and activities proposed at operational level.

Further information on BMW Group’s sustainability activities are available at: www.bmwgroup.com/responsibility

The SAM Group analyses the economic, environmental and social performance of approximately 2,500 companies and selects the best in each industry for the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes. General sustainability criteria are considered as well as industry-specific challenges such as climate change. The Dow Jones Sustainability Index was the first global sustainability index to be created, in 1999, and has since been published each year by the SAM Group, based in Zurich, in cooperation with Dow Jones Indexes and STOXX Limited. More information is available at www.sustainability-indexes.com

“This new plant will bring in more employment for the Lancaster area, as well as allow us to continue to recover renewable resources, such as Nickel and Cobalt, for use in the manufacturing of new batteries for the U.S. market.” says Ed Green, VP of Ohio operations for Toxco. Green continued, “The new plant represents growth for our group of companies” and noted “Toxco’s Trail, BC facility will continue to provide lithium battery recycling services to their existing customers; this plant will focus on the emerging battery market.”

Toxco is currently the only facility in North America with the capability to recycle both primary and secondary lithium batteries. Toxco’s existing lithium battery recycling operation is located in Trail, British Columbia. Additionally, Toxco manages two battery recycling operations in Ohio. The Lancaster, Ohio facility currently processes large format lead acid batteries, as well as nickel metal hydride batteries used in the current population of hybrid and electric vehicles. This facility is also only one of two technologies in North America that can recycle nickel cadmium batteries, which is a common consumer type of rechargeable battery. The recovery process used in Lancaster for the nickel cadmium batteries is deemed to be a “Best Demonstrated Available Technology” per US EPA.

For additional information about Toxco or to learn more about battery recycling please go to:
http://www.toxco.com or http://www.biggreenbox.com