Appleton Wins 2015 Earth Day Business Sustainability Award for Higher Recycled Fiber

COMBINED LOCKS, Wis.—May 5, 2015—Appleton Coated has been selected as the winner in the 2015 Earth Day Business Sustainability Awards for Sustainable Product.

"Appleton Coated was chosen from a very high-quality field of nominees, and the judges were very impressed by your accomplishments, performance and your commitment to sustainability," said Tom Eggert, executive director of the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council.

Company representatives were recognized at an awards ceremony held at Briggs & Stratton in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, April 29.

"Our customers desired to increase the amount of post-consumer recycled fiber (PCRF) in the products they manufacture with our paper," remarked Jeff Alderton, project manager. "Through process and design changes, Appleton Coated met their needs and is producing the majority of their papers with 50 percent PCRF versus the old standard of 10 percent PCRF." He also noted that the following positive environmental impact can be achieved by switching from 10 percent PCRF to 50 percent PCRF for 1,000 tons of paper:

• 8,000 trees saved,
• 3594 million fewer BTU's of energy (equivalent to 40 homes per year),
• 345 tons of CO2 equivalent emissions reduced (equivalent to taking 63 cars off the road per year),
• 3.7 million gallons less water used (five Olympic-sized swimming pools)
• 125 tons of solid waste reduction (nine garbage trucks).

Source: Environmental impact estimates were made using the Environmental Paper Network Paper Calculator Version 3.2.

"This recognition by the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council clearly shows how our ongoing efforts to develop greener products for our customers resonates with the business and environmental communities," added Ann Whalen, senior vice president marketing and customer services. "We continue to adapt our processes and capabilities to meet the increasing demand for printing papers with higher levels of PCRF. We strive to increase awareness of how product choices can impact the environment, we encourage the increased use of high PCRF grades and we are committed to meeting those demands in the future."

The Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council developed The Earth Day Business Sustainability Awards. The awards were offered for the first time in 2014 and honor businesses for their leadership in developing innovative products, processes and business models while demonstrating that economic performance and environmental and social performance go hand-in-hand.

Appleton Coated has been a Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council Green Master Award winner for the last four years and is the first coated mill to be Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) (FSC C007796) certified in North America. The company’s sustainability efforts also include lowering overall fossil fuel usage by substituting biomass for coal and by purchasing 20 percent of its electricity as Green-e certified renewable energy credits, or RECs.

To learn more about the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council’s Earth Day Business Sustainability awards, click here.

About Appleton Coated
Appleton Coated is an American-owned manufacturer and distributor of coated, uncoated, specialty and technical papers sold under the Utopia, Curious Collection and Altima brand names. The company’s products are used in high-end commercial printing, textbook publishing, label papers, transactional printing and a variety of specialty and custom applications. The company serves corporations, distributors, publishers, printers, converters and graphic designers in North America. Since 1889, Appleton Coated has been headquartered in Combined Locks, Wisconsin.

Source: Appleton Coated.