WASHINGTON – The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) presented MWV 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, MWV was honored with the “Leaders in Sustainability” water award for its “Mahrt Mill Water and Energy Reduction Project.”
“Water reduction is becoming much more important as a sustainability factor for manufacturing operations, and we are proud to be able to showcase MWV’s accomplishments to the world,” said AF&PA President and CEO Donna Harman. “This project shows that improvements can be made with smart people and outside-of-the-box thinking without sacrificing quality. We look forward to seeing what else they have in store.”
Located in Cottonton, Ala., the mill reduced water usage by 20 percent, energy usage by over 8 percent, and CO2 emissions by 105 metric tons per day while maintaining existing production quality and capacity.
“We’re honored to be the first recipient of the ‘Leaders in Sustainability’ Water Award,” said MWV Senior Vice President, Technology Mark Watkins. “MWV fosters a culture of continuous improvement in all of our facilities, and we’re proud to count the Mahrt mill as one of our own. The employees at the mill worked tirelessly to implement the changes necessary to achieve these results, and this award reflects their ingenuity.”
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 MWV
MeadWestvaco Corporation (NYSE: MWV) is a global packaging company providing innovative solutions to the world’s most admired brands in the healthcare, beauty and personal care, food , beverage, home and garden, tobacco, and agricultural industries. The company also produces specialty chemicals for the automotive, energy, and infrastructure industries and maximizes the value of its land holdings through forestry operations, property development and land sales. MWV’s network of 125 facilities and 15,000 employees spans North America, South America, Europe and Asia. The company has been recognized for financial performance and environmental stewardship with a place on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index every year since 2005. Learn more at mwv.com.