Wisconsin’s Green Tier welcomes Flambeau River Papers
News Release Published: June 12, 2012 by the Northern Region
http://dnr.wi.gov/news/BreakingNews_Lookup.asp?id=2398
PARK FALLS, Wis. – Flambeau River Papers put an exclamation-mark on its sustainability efforts today when the facility was officially welcomed into Wisconsin’s innovative, environmental Green Tier program.
With over a hundred year history of producing fine writing paper, Flambeau River Papers continues the tradition by implementing programs which will improve environmental conditions while increasing energy efficiency.
Department of Natural Resources Secretary Cathy Stepp extended congratulations, “We applaud Flambeau River Papers for making environmental and community sustainability a key part of its business strategy. It is demonstrating that successful economic performance, community involvement and environmental protection can all go hand in hand.”
At a fundraising picnic at the company’s Park Falls mill, DNR's Cooperative Environmental Assistance Bureau Director, Mark McDermid, welcomed Flambeau River Papers and its 300 employees into the Green Tier program. The picnic and welcome were a fitting match for a company so involved with the sustainability of the community, the company and the environment.
“One of the main reasons that we are still operating today is because of the energy savings that our employees have created,” said Randy Stoeckel, President and General Manager, Flambeau River Papers. “The Green Tier program will serve as a reminder of those energy sustainability efforts and other environmental opportunities in the future.”
All employees at Flambeau River Papers are expected to take responsibility for environmental protection. The company’s environmental statement helps integrate environmental protection into business processes and decisions. A key component of that statement is reliance on an Environmental Management System, (EMS) which also happens to be a requirement for participating in Green Tier. The “plan-do-check-act” tool helps a company understand its environmental impacts and set benchmarks to measure environmental improvements.
The environmental statement focuses on minimizing environmental impact by using resources more efficiently, and by reducing all forms of waste, including a commitment to continual improvement and prevention of pollution.
Flambeau River Papers is participating in Tier 1 of the program, which is designed to encourage new goal setting and innovation. Green Tier encourages businesses and other organizations to voluntarily collaborate with DNR to move beyond compliance with regulations and to achieve superior environmental performance. To participate, an applicant must have a good environmental record, commit to exceeding environmental minimums and implement an internationally accredited Environmental Management System.
In exchange for a commitment to superior environmental performance, the DNR grants benefits to Tier 1 participants including a single point of contact with the department for easier communications and collaboration. Green Tier participation has grown throughout Wisconsin’s business community in recent years as more companies have found business value through greater environmental performance.
For more information on Green Tier and Flambeau River Paper’s involvement, is available on the DNR website.