Appleton Coated Attains Green Master Award for 6th Consecutive Year

COMBINED LOCKS, Wis. —January 11, 2016 — For the sixth year in a row, Appleton Coated achieved the designation of “Green Master” through the Green Masters Program of the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council. Company representatives were honored at the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Conference on December 8th.

“I am honored to recognize Appleton Coated as one of only 7 companies in the state that have been recognized as Green Master level companies for 6 or more years,” said Tom Eggert, executive director or the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council. “The Green Masters Program serves to support and draw attention to our state’s sustainability leadership companies, and Appleton Coated is clearly one of those companies. They serve as an example to both other companies in the paper sector, and also to companies from other sectors from across the state. We are fortunate to have them here in Wisconsin.”

Contributing to its 2016 Green Master Award, Appleton Coated continues to expand its sales of products made from high levels of post-consumer recycled fiber (PCRF). The company’s 2015 recycled fiber usage was generated from over 80,000 tons of post-consumer waste paper.

“Sustainability and improving our environmental impact are key objectives for Appleton Coated,” says Jenni Birkholz, senior marketing specialist for sustainability. “We are committed to continual improvements within our facility and in our products. We also make it easy for our customers to choose environmentally-friendly papers by offering responsible sourcing, high PCRF products and products made with Green-e® certified green power through the purchase of renewable energy credits (RECS)."

As a Green Master, Appleton Coated’s performance was evaluated using nine sustainability areas: energy, carbon and other emissions, water, waste management, transportation, supply chain, community and educational outreach, workforce, and governance. Only the top 20 percent of participating companies achieve the highest “Green Master” designation.

About the Green Masters Program
The Green Masters Program is an objective, points-based recognition program that enables Wisconsin institutions of all sizes and from any sector to join a group of like-minded companies that are "on the road to sustainability." Developed by the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council, in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin, the Green Masters Program helps to recognize Wisconsin's sustainability leaders and encourage continuous improvement. Nearly 200 Wisconsin Businesses are participating in the program, and only the top 20 percent achieve the highest "Green Master" designation.

About Appleton Coated
Appleton Coated is a manufacturer and distributor of coated, uncoated, specialty and technical papers sold under the Ethos, Utopia, and other 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. Selling through a chain of highly respected paper distributors, the company serves corporations, publishers, printers, converters, and graphic designers in North America. Since 1889, Appleton Coated has been headquartered in Combined Locks, Wisconsin. Learn more about Appleton Coated at www.AppletonCoated.com.

The first North American coated paper mill to be Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified (FSC C007796), Appleton Coated maintains ISO14001 certification. It is recognized by the WWF for its environmental transparency by participating in the WWF Environmental Paper Company Index (EPCI) which recognizes transparency and continual improvement of participants and also in 2016 received the WWF Environmental Paper Awards 2016 (Category “Striving for Continual Improvement”) for screening the forest, climate, and water footprint of selected paper products with WWF’s Check your Paper Method. It is an 8 year Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) SmartWay Transport Partner and 2015 SmartWay Excellence Award Winner. It is a member of the EPA Green Power Partnership® since 2011 and named to the National Top 100 in 2014, 2015, and 2016. It is one of 7 Green Tier II companies recognized by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as having exceptional environmental management systems in place.

Source: Appleton Coated.