Greif, Inc. Releases 2016 Sustainability Report and Announces Winner of 2016 Michael J. Gasser Sustainability Award

Greif, Inc. (NYSE: GEF, GEF.B), a global leader in industrial packaging products and services, announced today that it has released its eighth annual sustainability report, demonstrating the company’s commitment to continuous improvement through an integrated approach to environmental and social responsibility.

“At Greif, our commitment to sustainability is steadfast. In 2016, we continued to operationalize sustainability in our business, made good progress on our goals and served our customers through improved sustainability practices. I’m proud to say that through the efforts of our global colleagues, Greif has been recognized as a leader in sustainability by independent organizations,” said Pete Watson, President and Chief Executive Officer.

Highlights from the Greif 2016 Sustainability Report include the following:

• Achieving a Medical Case Rate* (MCR) reduction of 20 percent between 2015 and 2016, outpacing our 10 percent annual reduction target and attaining Greif’s lowest ever MCR
• Receiving an A- score from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) for our environmental leadership
• Earning silver recognition from EcoVadis, placing Greif in the top nine percent of suppliers in its category
• Achieving improvements in energy efficiency and reductions in emissions, such as decreasing energy consumption by eight percent in our Riverville Mill in Virginia and reducing site emissions by 70 percent at three facilities in Brazil through the use of renewable energy

The report issued also outlines Greif’s 2020 goals for energy efficiency, emissions reduction and water conservation. It also contains standard disclosures from the GRI Sustainability Reporting Guidelines and fulfills the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) annual Communication on Progress (COP).

In addition to the 2016 sustainability report, Greif is also pleased to announce that Rigid Industrial Packaging & Services Italy has been awarded the 2016 Michael J. Gasser Sustainability Award. The team developed a strategy to reduce the weight of our IBC product. This effort reduced Greif’s carbon footprint and achieved financial savings, while maintaining Greif’s commitment to producing products of the highest quality for our customers.

* Medical Case Rate, measures the number of recordable injuries per 100 full-time employees in a 12-month period.

About Greif, Inc.

Greif is a global leader in industrial packaging products and services and is pursuing its vision to become the world’s best performing customer service company in industrial packaging. The company produces steel, plastic, fibre, flexible, corrugated, and reconditioned containers, intermediate bulk containers, containerboard and packaging accessories, and provides filling, packaging and industrial packaging reconditioning services for a wide range of industries. Greif also manages timber properties in the south eastern United States. The company is strategically positioned in over 45 countries to serve global as well as regional customers. Additional information is on the company's website at www.greif.com.

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Greif, Inc.Matt Eichmann, 740-549-6067Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications