Kodak Wins EPA Award for Helping Reduce Ozone Depletion; Motion-Picture Film Industry Leader to be Honored for Creating PTR technology.

Business Editors

ROCHESTER, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 21, 2003

Eastman Kodak Company will receive today the 2003 Stratospheric Ozone Protection Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in recognition of Kodak's commitment to reducing ozone-depleting chemicals through the development of Particle Transfer Roller (PTR) technology for cleaning motion-picture film.

The Stratospheric Ozone Protection Award, presented as part of Earth Day celebrations worldwide, is bestowed on those companies that demonstrate a commitment to helping prevent the release of ozone-depleting chemicals. Kodak was one of only four companies worldwide honored in 2003.

"Kodak has shown you can achieve top-notch motion-picture film quality while improving environmental standards," said Drusilla Hufford, Director of the EPA's Global Programs Division. "You can enjoy your next film knowing Kodak's development of PTRs has eliminated the use of several hundred thousand pounds of ozone-depleting substances over the past 12 years."

First developed by Kodak in 1989, the Particle Transfer Roller is a specially molded soft polyurethane roller that captures dirt and dust through contact adhesion -- without the use of solvents. Prior to 1990, nearly all motion picture film was cleaned offline in ultrasonic cleaning machines that used a solvent known as 1,1,1-trichloroethane for particulate removal. As an alternative to solvent use, Kodak developed and promoted the use of PTR film cleaners that could remove dirt and dust from film online during conventional film printing and projecting operations. As motion-picture film gently glides over the PTR, dirt and dust from the film stick to the roller. The process improves motion picture film quality while eliminating the use of environmentally damaging solvents. Over the past 12 years, PTRs have supplanted 1,1,1-trichloroethane as the primary method for cleaning motion picture film worldwide.

"The PTR innovation helps protect the high quality of our film product at theaters while also protecting the environment," said Eric Rodli, Kodak's President of Entertainment Imaging. "The PTR technology that we developed and shared worldwide is characterized by what's not there--dirt and dust on movie film--just as the stratosphere is protected by what's not there--ozone-depleting solvents."

Not only has Kodak led the industry in developing PTR technology, it also freely disclosed the technology to customers and competitors for unrestricted use. Kodak's subsidiary, FPC, sells the product to motion-picture labs, film-to-video transfer facilities, and theater operators. PTRs are used in thousands of movie theaters around the world, including most IMAX theaters. The solvent-free process has eliminated the use of several hundred thousand pounds of ozone-depleting substances from Kodak and customer operations. Combined with CFC free refrigeration system upgrades in film manufacturing, more than one million pounds of ozone-depleting substances have been eliminated.

The motion-picture film industry has also taken notice. BHP, Inc. is the leading manufacturer of motion-picture film printing equipment and sells products to film laboratories around the world.

"It's remarkable that such a simple, compact innovation has had such a positive environmental impact worldwide," said Jonathan Banks, President of BHP, Inc. "Kodak's technology is a step forward for the entire motion-picture film industry."

The PTRs themselves are also environmentally friendly in that they can simply be washed with water and reused once they accumulate dirt. One set of PTRs can clean an estimated 20 million feet of motion-picture print film. PTRs are generally only discarded once they harden, become physically damaged, or lose cleaning efficiency.

Fun Fact:

Kodak's efforts to protect the environment also extend to the film itself. Each year, Kodak recycles three billion feet, or 18 million pounds, of motion picture film.

Eastman Kodak Company and infoimaging

Kodak is the leader in helping people take, share, enhance, preserve, print and enjoy pictures--for memories, for information, for entertainment. The company is a major participant in infoimaging, $385 billion industry composed of devices (digital cameras and PDAs), infrastructure (online networks and delivery systems for images) and services & media (software, film and paper enabling people to access, analyze and print images). Kodak harnesses its technology, market reach and a host of industry partnerships to provide innovative products and services for customers who need the information-rich content that images contain. The company, with sales last year of $12.8 billion, is organized into four major businesses: Photography, providing consumers, professionals and cinematographers with digital and traditional products and services; Commercial Imaging, offering image capture, output and storage products and services to businesses and government; Components, delivering flat-panel displays, optics and sensors to original equipment manufacturers; and Health, supplying the healthcare industry with traditional and digital image capture and output products and services.

Editor's Note: For additional information about Kodak, visit our web site on the Internet at: www.kodak.com/