Let's take a look at Tennessee-based
Verso, for example.
In the last decade, Verso has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions per ton of production by 28% through a mix of new energy sources, efficiency projects and sustainable forestry. Here are a few details:
- In 2007, 53% of the company's energy came from biomass, leftovers from the papermaking process such as bark, small limbs and wood lignin.
- The rest of the company's energy came from natural gas (23%), oil (9%), purchased electricity and steam (8%), coal (5%) and other sources.
- In 2007, Verso invested $20 million to increase operating and energy efficiency of facilities, so far improving paper machine efficiency by 1.2%.
- The company's four mills received Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) chain of custody certification and increased the amount of certified fibers in products to 60%, up from 57% in 2006. The target for 2008 is 64%.
- In 2007, Verso reduced its solid waste by nearly 6% over 2006. Of the more than 212,000 tons of solid waste produced, about a third was recovered and reused as fuel, less than a third was sold for uses such as soil improvement and the remaining 37% was send to landfills.
- In addition, Verso purchased 11,423 tons of recovered fiber in 2007, a 78% increase over 2006, to produce recycled-content products.
In "
Our Path: A Softer Step," Verso details its environmental progress and projects from 2007, noting where it has succeeded and where it needs more work.
A bit of interesting trivia:
Verso actually means "the other side of the paper."
