Cohoes, NY (July 10, 2008)  – Providence, Rhode Island-based Gilbert Design has been presented with the Mohawk Windpower Partnership Award for its recent sustainable initiatives in the design of the RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) viewbook.
 
The Windpower Partnership Award was presented to Joseph Gilbert, Creative Director, Gilbert Design, and Edward Newhall, Director of Admissions, RISD, for their collective contribution toward producing a more sustainable admissions viewbook through considered design and responsible paper selection.
 
The 2008 RISD viewbook was printed on FSC-certified Mohawk Options.  And, 100% of the electricity used to produce Mohawk Options, and all of Mohawk's papers, is offset with Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) from non-polluting windpower projects.  "The viewbook is the flagship publication for this leading design school. We wanted to use Options not only for its great ink holdout and printability, but also for its environmental benefits.  This piece is evidence of RISD's commitment to design for a sustainable future," said Joe Gilbert.
 
Using Mohawk Options to produce the RISD viewbook created an instant environmental savings: according to Mohawk's environmental calculator, the sum of that savings was equal to 15,233 lbs. of air emissions not being generated, and six barrels of crude oil saved from being used.  Furthermore the wind-generated electricity associated with the manufacturing of Mohawk Options is equivalent to taking one car off the road for a year or planting 1,030 trees for the future.
 
"The difference Gilbert Design and RISD are making is significant, not only with the RISD viewbook but with their shared approach to sustainable thinking and design, and educating our future designers to continue along that path," said Thomas D. O'Connor, Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mohawk Fine Papers.
 
Mohawk's Windpower Partnership Award was launched nationally in 2006 and has presented awards to leading designers, design firms, and corporations who voluntarily choose to take sustainable initiatives by producing materials with Mohawk's environmental papers.  This is one of many programs launched by Mohawk to raise awareness for corporate sustainability issues. A pioneer on the recycled paper front, in 2003, Mohawk became the first paper mill in the U.S. to use renewable, non-polluting wind energy for manufacturing and the first U.S. mill to offset the thermal energy emissions associated with the production of select paper brands, thus effectively making the paper carbon neutral.
 
Mohawk's environmental calculator is another industry first; this online, interactive tool enables designers to calculate the savings achieved when they choose environmentally friendly paper.  Mohawk is also the first U.S. paper mill to offer Green Seal-certified papers and continues to offer the widest variety of Green Seal-certified papers available from one mill. Finally, Mohawk received the EPA's Green Power Leadership Partner of the Year Award in October of 2007.
For more information, visit www.mohawkpaper.com or call 1-800 the mill.