Monadnock Paper Mills Continues Green Commitment
- Published: May 09, 2013
BENNINGTON, NH | Monadnock Paper Mills, a family-owned manufacturer of technical/specialty and premium printing and packaging papers, has achieved 100% carbon neutral production status and can now offer customers and supply chain partners a third-party-verified claim that 100% of its products are made with Green-e certified, clean renewable electricity.
“We have a longstanding commitment to environmental sustainability,” says Richard Verney, chairman and CEO of Monadnock Paper Mills. “We produce up to 50 percent of our electricity on-site. It is a priority to maximize our own low-impact renewable hydropower generation and to continue reducing emissions associated with our operations.”
Monadnock reports it has significantly reduced energy consumption, resulting in a savings of more than 1 million kWh of electricity/yr. Some improvement projects in 2012 include recognizing and implementing efficiencies in manufacturing processes, increasing the efficiency of its largest hydroelectric turbine wheel, upgrading vacuum pumps on the paper machines, recovering dryer condensate, and installing an economizer and variable speed drives.
“We did everything we could internally to maximize the efficiency of our hydro facilities, and only then did we start looking at reputable sources for additive renewable energy and carbon offset credits,” says environmental manager Michelle Hamm.
After a thorough vetting process, Monadnock purchased Climate Action Reserve Protocol certified Verified Emission Reductions (VERs) to offset emissions associated with its thermal energy generation. It also purchased Green-e certified wind power Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) to offset the electricity required to run its facilities.
In addition to these third-party verified actions and programs, Monadnock participates voluntarily as an EPA 100 percent Green Partner, EPA WasteWise Partner, and EPA SmartWay Transport Partner.
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