Neenah Paper is adding two environmentally
friendly papers to its Classic brands. Recycled
Bright White and Recycled Natural White
are both available as FSC-certified and Processed
Chlorine Free (PCF). “Neenah is the first mill in
the world to watermark the FSC symbol and chain
of custody into its papers, and is the first premium
paper mill to be certified PCF by the Chlorine
Free Products Association (CFPA),” says Meredith
Christiansen, product manager for Neenah.
“The papers are made without chlorine or chlorine
compounds, and they can now proudly carry
the PCF emblem. Third-party certifications such as
those from the CFPA demonstrate that the exciting
choices Neenah offers are also environmentally unsurpassed. CFPA is an unbiased
organization that is forging new ground to verify high environmental standards are
being met. It offers a credible way of assuring customers that Neenah has met the most
rigorous standards.”
This spring, Neenah also joined the Chicago Climate Exchange—the world’s first
voluntary, but legally binding, greenhouse-gas emissions reduction, registry and trading
program. The paper house will track and report carbon dioxide emissions, and will
work toward a 6-percent reduction of its baseline by 2010. “By joining the Chicago Climate
Exchange’s growing program, Neenah Paper not only has committed to reducing
emissions but has also agreed to be both transparent and accountable in regard to
our sustainable practices and targeted improvements,” says Sean Erwin, chief executive
officer of Neenah Paper. “Neenah Paper is committed to the responsible stewardship
of the environment and resources we use to provide products to our customers. As
a leader in our markets, it is important to send a message to our employees, stakeholders
and customers about our commitment to the systematic reduction of our environmental
footprint.” Neenah Paper, www.neenah.com
Environmental sustainability
practices are in place at
Finch
Paper. All products are SFI
and/or FSC certified, meaning
the wood fiber comes from
forests that have been independently
verified as responsibly
managed.
Finch Paper’s own staff of
foresters also manage 161,000
acres of working forestland
on behalf of The Nature Conservancy.
“Finch Paper’s forest
management philosophy is
to protect the beauty and natural
resources of Adirondack
forests and the wide array of
wildlife and plant life they sustain,
while continuing to help
meet society’s ever-increasing
demand for Finch Paper and
other forest products,” says
Finch Paper woodlands manager
Roger Dziengeleski.
For the past three years,
Finch has averaged about 316
million lbs. of post-consumer
fiber use per year. But the paper
house says its ecological efforts
don’t stop with trees. At
least 60 percent of Finch’s energy
comes from non-fossil
fuel sources like hydroelectricity.
And by using pollution-prevention
tools like scrubbers
and mist eliminators, the company
is also reducing greenhouse
gas emissions. Finch
Paper, www.finchpaper.com
A growing number of designers are turning
to synthetic paper to lessen their
impact on the environment. Made from
the extrusion of melted plastic—like
polypropylene or polyolefin resin—synthetic
papers are completely inorganic.
There are no ozone-threatening emissions
from production, and nearly no
waste by-products. Dave Jeffers,
Yupo
Corporation America’s technical service
manager, says, “Synthetic paper is
100-percent recyclable. Recycled polypropylene plastic, for example, is recovered as
plastic resin and may be used in food containers, yarns and fabrics, upholstery, luggage
and car seats. The recovered resin demonstrates the same performance as virgin plastics.
Polyolefin can be recycled along with other plastic packaging materials and does
not need to be separated.”
Yupo’s paper is also durable and waterproof, making it ideal for projects like the
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s Beachcomber’s Companion, published by Woods
Hole Sea Grant. The 50 flash cards boast beautiful illustrations of marine invertebrates,
as well as cool scientific facts and a reusable checklist so explorers can check off the
invertebrates they meet on the beach with a wax pencil, then wash it off and reuse it for
the next trip. Yupo, www.yupo.com
Gmund has gained FSC certification for nearly all of
its papers. The environmental seal of approval is the
latest in the company’s green efforts. In 1991, the Silencium
line—made up entirely of post-consumer waste—was the first fine paper worldwide to earn the Blue
Angel label. (Blue Angel was created in 1977 to promote
environmentally sound products, and was the
first eco-labeling program for products and services
anywhere in the world.) And in 2002, Gmund built
a facility to clean papermaking effluents with ozone.
The firm went on to receive the Bavarian State Medal
for special merit in the environmental field. “The FSC
certification proves one more time that high-end text
and cover papers can very well be produced while respecting and protecting the environment,”
says Florian Kohler, owner and creative head of the company.
Gmund says Germany’s environmental mandates are some of the strictest in the world, and
the company often exceeds those by employing green techniques—like getting 60 percent of its
energy for the mill from a river on-site and recycling more than 95 percent of production wastes.
“Of course, raw materials are also checked for being ecologically harmless: Gmund papers are
made from chlorine-free wooden or cotton pulp,” Maxi Christina Gohlke of Gmund Marketing
explains. “Still, Gmund’s paper designers search for alternative raw materials, which shows in
unique new sorts of paper consisting of recycled fibers, hemp or cotton, or even with inclusions of
straw, bark or rags.” Gmund, www.gmund.com
Earth-friendly changes are on the way at
Crane & Co. The paper
house—which has made 100-percent cotton social and business
stationery since 1801—is building a renewable-energy center.
Located on its manufacturing campus in Dalton, Mass., the center
is to consist of three alternative power sources: biodiesel production,
biomass energy and hydroelectric power.
First up: The construction of a 50 million gallon-per-year
biodiesel manufacturing facility, using soybean oil and animal
fats from the Midwest. “In addition to producing biodiesel for
commercial and residential applications, the plant will have the
potential to generate between 5 and 10 megawatts of electricity,”
spokesperson Peter Hopkins explains. “A by-product of the manufacturing
of biodiesel is glycerin, a chemical widely used in papermaking.
A $3 million grant was awarded by the Massachusetts
Agency of Transportation to reconnect a rail siding to accommodate
incoming and outgoing shipments.” Berkshire Biodiesel LLC
will begin building the plant later this year or early next year.
Crane is also partnering with Tamarack Energy and the Massachusetts
Technology Collaborative to study the feasibility of a
30 to 50 megawatt biomass energy facility on Crane’s campus. It
would be able to supply
power to 40,000 homes
per year, using the parts
of trees unable to be
used for lumber.
The paper company
also has a grant to
research the potential
of hydroelectric power
from dams on the Housatonic
River. Crane &
Co., www.crane.com
Monadnock is
unveiling a premium
line of
environmental
packaging grades
that are manufactured
carbon neutral
and are made
with 100-percent
clean, renewable
electric power. Envi
by Monadnock has
earned the FSC
chain-of-custody
certification under the chip and fiber standard—meaning the fiber
can be traced back through every step of the supply chain and is
sourced responsibly.
Envi Folding Box Board (FBB) is the first of the line to be
introduced. The single-ply, high-caliper uncoated paperboard
is made with 80 percent post-consumer waste, and up to 45 percent
of the energy used to manufacture Envi FBB is generated
on-site with low-impact hydroelectric generators. “With a relentless
stream of advertising on TV, radio, internet and print, breaking
through the competitive clutter has never been more difficult
for brand holders,” says David Lunati, director of Marketing for
Monadnock. “Because it makes good business and social sense,
they are increasingly choosing to distinguish themselves through
the application of sustainable business practices. Envi by Monadnock
presents a unique opportunity to satisfy the need for attention-
grabbing aesthetics while demonstrating a firm commitment
to environmental stewardship in packaging.” Monadnock Paper
Mills, www.mpm.com
Premium paper is getting an ecological
update at
Sappi Fine Paper. Lustro Offset
Environmental (LOE) is made of 30-percent
post-consumer waste fiber and boasts both
FSC chain-of-custody (BV-COC-061202)
and SFI fiber sourcing (BV-SFIS-157024) certifications. Jennifer Miller, executive vice
president, Strategic Marketing and Corporate Communications, says, “Lustro
Offset Environmental sets an industry standard in not only sustainable manufacturing,
but in paper attributes as well. LOE elegantly captures flesh tones
and beautifully reproduces images of rich, warm tones—all while offering three
times the industry standard for PCW content. Furthering our promise of sustainable
operations, 100 percent of the electricity used to manufacture LOE is
Green-e certified renewable energy.” Sappi Fine Paper,
www.sappi.com
Smart Papers is expanding its core environmental line. Genesis now includes new 100-
percent post-consumer waste papers and FSC-certified papers, as well as new colors and
a smoother surface. The range of PCW content starts at 30 percent. “We’re in a new era
of papermaking—one where there’s no longer a tradeoff between earth-friendliness and
paper quality,” says Dan Maheu, president and chief
operating officer for the paper house. “Our newly
expanded Genesis line demonstrates our commitment
to give designers, printers and their customers some
of the best-printing environmental papers available on
the market today.”
Smart Papers has also given Passport an upgrade.
One of America’s earliest recycled and fiber-added
printing paper lines, all Passport papers are now made
with 30-percent PCW fiber. The line is also acid-free,
chlorine-free and archival. It comes in 14 colors and a
variety of weights. Smart Papers, www.smartpapers.com
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