WASHINGTON – The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) presented Green Bay Packaging with one of its inaugural Better Practices, Better Planet 2020 Sustainability Awards at the association’s annual meeting on Friday, Nov. 9 in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Designed to recognize exemplary sustainability programs and initiatives, awards are given based on the merit of entries received across multiple categories. This year, Green Bay Packaging was honored with the “Innovation in Sustainability” award for the “Fiber Reclaim Project” at its Arkansas Kraft mill.
“As the first ‘Innovation’ award winner, Green Bay Packaging has set a high bar for future applicants by achieving 100 percent fiber yield recovery in their Arkansas facility,” said Harman. “When we first envisioned the Sustainability Awards program, this is the kind of amazing work that we were hoping to uncover, and I believe this is the first of many innovative projects to come from our members.”
An industry first of technology and process innovation, the Arkansas Kraft Division achieved 100 percent fiber yield recovery from the waste system, with the recovered fiber being either recycled in the mill for linerboard production or sold to other facilities for their production. As a result, the mill has accomplished zero-landfill of fiber collected in the mill waste treatment system.
“We are honored to be the first ‘Innovation in Sustainability’ award winner recognized by AF&PA,” said Green Bay Packaging Executive Vice President Bryan Hollenbach. “The results of this innovative project show what’s possible when you’re willing to think strategically and creatively, and we hope to continue this approach at Green Bay Packaging as we move forward with our sustainability program.”
Released earlier this year, AF&PA’s 2012 Sustainability Report highlights the significant, measurable progress the U.S. paper, pulp, and wood products industry has made toward achieving its Better Practices, Better Planet 2020 sustainability goals. This is one of the most extensive collections of quantifiable sustainability goals for a major U.S. manufacturing industry, and the new awards program recognizes projects and efforts that contribute to reaching those goals and furthering innovation in sustainability.
Each year, AF&PA member company applicants are considered in two categories – “Innovation in Sustainability” and “Leaders in Sustainability” – with six “Leaders” subcategories: Paper Recovery for Recycling, Energy Efficiency/Greenhouse Gas Reduction, Certified Fiber, Illegal Logging, Safety, and Water. Projects that support progress toward the Better Practices, Better Planet 2020 sustainability goals qualify for recognition in the “Leaders” category; projects that merit recognition for their contribution to sustainable business practices but that do not specifically address one of these goals may be recognized in the “Innovation” category.
For more information about the Sustainability Awards program and AF&PA’s Better Practices initiative, visit www.afandpa.org/sustainability.
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Editor’s Note: Click here to retrieve a photo (caption included) of the award winners.
About AF&PA
The American Forest & Paper Association is the national trade association of the forest products industry, representing pulp, paper, packaging and wood products manufacturers, and forest landowners. Our companies make products essential for everyday life from renewable and recyclable resources that sustain the environment. The forest products industry accounts for approximately 5 percent of the total U.S. manufacturing GDP. Industry companies produce about $190 billion in products annually and employ nearly 900,000 men and women, exceeding employment levels in the automotive, chemicals and plastics industries. The industry meets a payroll of approximately $50 billion annually and is among the top 10 manufacturing sector employers in 47 states. Visit AF&PA online at www.afandpa.org.
About Green Bay Packaging Inc.
Started in 1933, Green Bay Packaging Inc. is a family-owned, vertically integrated company consisting of corrugated container plants, folding cartons, recycled and virgin linerboard mills, pressure-sensitive label rollstock, specialty converting operations, timberlands, and a sawmill facility. Headquartered in Green Bay, Wis., Green Bay Packaging Inc. is dedicated to innovative development of its products and forestry resources, with a focus on quality, sustainability and continuous improvement throughout all of its manufacturing facilities in 14 states. For more information about Green Bay Packaging Inc., visit www.gbp.com.