Thilmany Papers honored with AF&PA Sustainability Award

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) presented Thilmany Papers with one of its inaugural Better Practices, Better Planet 2020 Sustainability Awards at the association’s annual meeting on November 9 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Designed to recognize exemplary sustainability programs and initiatives, awards are given based on the merit of entries received across multiple categories. This year, Thilmany was honored with the Leaders in Sustainability award for Energy Efficiency / Greenhouse Gas Reduction for its energy and water restructuring program.

‘Thilmany is a shining example of what our industry is achieving by focusing on sustainability,’ said AF&PA president and CEO Donna Harman. ‘Not only did Thilmany accomplish its short-term energy efficiency goal, the company also realized several secondary benefits as a result of the improvements, showing us that sustainability as a driver of business decisions has multiple positive effects – economic, environmental and social.’

In 2009, Thilmany committed to improve its energy and economic efficiency and environmental impact. Throughout a two-year period, the company completed more than 35 energy-efficiency projects, and its Kaukauna mill in Wisconsin joined the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) ‘Better Buildings Better Plants’ program, resulting in a 19 percent reduction in purchased energy intensity.

The company plans to reach its commitment to the DOE program to reduce purchased energy intensity by 25 percent over 10 years by the end of this year – seven years ahead of schedule. Mill data also showed that use of process water has been decreased by more than two million gallons per day.

‘We are honored to be among the first to receive AF&PA’s Leaders in Sustainability Award for energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reductions,’ said Thilmany vice president and general manager Russ Wanke.

‘Our employees accomplish wonderful things. In this case, by completing nearly three dozen different projects, they’ve achieved astounding energy and water conservation results. We plan to achieve our initial goal well ahead of time, but our work will not end there. Thilmany has a long history of moving forward – developing innovative new products for our customers, finding new ways to support our local communities, and improving our environment. Where improvements can be made, we will work to achieve them.’

Thilmany Papers is a specialty paper manufacturer with facilities in Kaukauna and De Pere, Wisconsin. The company provides a broad range of products for the packaging, pressure sensitive, and industrial and technical markets.

For more information about the Sustainability Awards program and AF&PA’s Better Practices initiative, visit www.afandpa.org/sustainability.

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