For more than 100 years, Neenah Paper has been an innovative leader in the creation and manufacturing of premium, specialty and sustainable papers. Neenah's sustainability commitment is reflected in the 'Neenah Green' initiative, which includes mill-based solutions for minimizing environmental impact. A proud consumer of Green Energy, Neenah Paper is also a U.S. EPA Green Power Partner that manufactures many brands carrying the Green-e, Green SealTM and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certifications. Recently earning a 'Green Masters' status under the WI Sustainable Business Council's Green Masters Program, Neenah Paper has performed actions in each of the nine required "sustainability areas."

Neenah has accomplished major sustainability milestones in recent years. For instance, roughly 45 percent of the electricity for the Neenah Paper Fine Paper division is wind-generated electricity. Additionally, the Appleton facility generates a significant amount of its own electricity using hydroelectric generators on the Lower Fox River. In the last five years, Neenah Paper North America has also reduced their fresh water consumption by roughly 15 percent per ton of paper manufactured.

"Doing the right thing for the environment has become an expectation and Neenah Paper is proud to have delivered on that expectation for over 100 years. We have a passion for making beautiful premium paper and we make every effort to do that sustainably," said John Gray, director of Engineering, Energy and Environment for Neenah Paper.

Neenah Paper also measures, reports and reduces greenhouse gas emissions as voluntary members of The Climate Registry. The Climate Registry is a non-profit organization and collaboration among North American states, provinces, territories and Native Sovereign Nations that sets consistent and transparent standards to calculate, verify and publicly report greenhouse gas emissions into a single registry.

"Volunteering our emissions holds us accountable  to decrease the need for fossil fuels, reduce local air emissions and make more energy available for the community," Gray added.

Applicants to the Green Masters Program are judged on a comprehensive range of sustainability issues, from energy to water use to educational outreach and governance. More than 125 Wisconsin businesses are participating in the program where the top 20 percent achieve the highest "Green Master" designation.

"It's exciting to see Neenah Paper rewarded for their involvement in sustainability," said Tom Eggert, executive director of the WI Sustainable Business Council. "As part of a key Wisconsin industry, it is great to see that they have successfully integrated sustainable practices into their business operations. Because of this commitment, all of the printed material produced by the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council is printed on Neenah Paper's Environment Brandline of paper. Their commitment to Wisconsin sets a good example for other businesses."

For more information, or a complete list of Green Masters Program participants, go to: www.greenmastersprogram.com.