ORLANDO, FL – CHEP, a provider of pallet and container pooling services leasing, has joined the SmartWay Transport Partnership, a collaboration between U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the freight industry designed to increase energy efficiency while significantly reducing greenhouse gases and air pollution. CHEP is working with EPA tools and strategies to measure and reduce its environmental impact, as well as the efficiency of their freight operations and fuel-usage, according to www.businesswire.com.

"By joining SmartWay Transport Partnership, CHEP is demonstrating its strong environmental leadership and corporate responsibility. Our customers also benefit from our membership as they see efficiency improvements to the company’s operations,” said Michael Lamb, president of CHEP USA.

CHEP is contributing to the Partnership’s goal to reduce 33 to 66 million metric tons of carbon dioxide and up to 200,000 tons of nitrogen oxide per year by 2012 by improving the environmental performance of all operations. Carbon dioxide is the most common greenhouse gas, and nitrogen oxide is an air pollutant that contributes to smog.

The SmartWay Transport Partnership is part of a multi-focus CHEP drive to reduce its corporate environmental footprint. CHEP is already an ENERGY STAR Partner with the U.S. EPA and Department of Energy and is committed to tracking and reducing energy use in its buildings and facilities across the nation. CHEP also has strong programs in place supporting material reuse and recycling, and they recently launched a Hybrid Vehicle Incentive Program, which compensates employees for the purchase of eco-friendly vehicles.