STAMFORD, Conn., Oct 17, 2003 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE: PBI) has been named by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) WasteWise program as a "Partner of the Year" in the Large Company category for the third year in a row. The 2003 award marks the sixth consecutive year in which the EPA has recognized Pitney Bowes for the company's significant accomplishments in recycling and solid waste reduction at its US facilities. The EPA launched WasteWise in 1994 as a voluntary partnership program to help businesses and institutions find practical methods to reduce municipal solid waste, increase materials reuse and recycling, and encourage the buying and manufacturing of products with recycled content. The EP acknowledged the noteworthy waste reduction achievements of Pitney Bowes at the 2003 WasteWise Awards and Recognition Ceremony on Thursday, October 16, 2003 in Washington, DC.

"We are proud that the EPA has recognized our efforts and accomplishments in the WasteWise program for six years in a row, and especially with the award of the top prize in the large company category for the recent three years," said Michael J. Critelli, Chairman and CEO of Pitney Bowes. "Our strong environmental stewardship initiatives are important to all of our business constituents, including employees and shareholders. Incorporating environmentally friendly business practices into our products and services creates an additional value-add for customers, and is a key element of our customer-centric business strategy."

Pitney Bowes, which initiated its own WasteWise Initiative in 1997, currently has 24 participating U.S. facilities across four divisions. In addition, Pitney Bowes' manufacturing sitesin Pickering, Ontario Canada and Harlow, Essex UK have initiated similar local programs in solid waste reduction. In 2002, the 24 participating U.S. facilities reported a 72% rate of recycling whereas most U.S. municipalities, according to the EPA, are at an average 30% recycling rate. Over 1,140 tons of paper, for example, were recycled in 2002 by Pitney Bowes facilities that translates into the preservation of 19,380 trees, 4.6 million kilowatts of energy and the reduction of air pollutants by 34.1 tons.

Part of PB Environmental Stewardship Initiative

"Participation in the EPA WasteWise program is just a part of Pitney Bowes' award winning environmental strategy and portfolio of environmental initiatives which enable the company to reduce its environmental footprint," notes Amy Corn, vice president, Secretary and Chief Governance Officer, Pitney Bowes. "As a founding member of the Green Power Market Development Group, Pitney Bowes has committed to purchase renewable energy certificates equivalent to 10% of its annual US and UK home office consumption of electricity generated from conventional resources. This action will help further establish the corporate market for renewable energy sources, such as wind, geothermal, biomass and landfill gas, which in turn should produce local and global environmental benefits such as reducing regional air pollution."

Other activities aimed at reducing the company's corporate environmental footprint include: 75% of newly manufactured mailing machines are Energy Star certified, and 85% of Pitney Bowes-marketed products are captured in a product take-back program.

Pitney Bowes is the world's leading provider of integrated mail and document management systems, services and solutions. The $4.4 billion company helps organizations of all sizes engineer the flow of communication to reduce costs and increase impact, and enhance customer relationships. The company's 80-plus years of technological leadership has produced many major innovations in the mailing industry and more than 3,500 active patents with applications in a variety of markets, including printing, shipping, encryption, and financial services. With approximately 33,000 employees worldwide, Pitney Bowes serves more than 2 million businesses through direct and dealer operations. More information on the company is available at www.pb.com.

     Contact:
     Christopher Tessier
     Manager, Public Relations
     203-351-7210
     Christopher.Tessier@pb.com
     www.pb.com

SOURCE Pitney Bowes Inc.

Christopher Tessier, Manager, Public Relations of Pitney Bowes
Inc., +1-203-351-7210, Christopher.Tessier@pb.com

http://www.pitneybowes.com