Friday, September 5, 2008

Fiber and Forests

Forestry is a major focus of the global sustainability movement, now that the consequences of clear cutting and irresponsible forestry are becoming apparent in terms of climate change, flooding and loss of biodiversity.

In recent years, forestry companies and paper mills have increasingly collaborated with environmental groups to become more responsible caretakers of forest lands. As a non-integrated paper mill, Mohawk purchases all of its' virgin and recycled fiber pulp from market sources. They have the flexibility to choose the type of fiber and sources for the fiber they buy.

Mohawk’s fiber suppliers have been notified that Mohawk will not accept fiber harvested from high conservation-value old growth forests. They are required to provide documentation demonstrating sound environmental practices and responsible forestry management. If the wood pulp comes from a forest that has been certified for FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) standards, they can be sure that the natural resource has been managed responsibly.

Mohawk and Carbon Neutral?

Since 2003 Mohawk has been a leader in the support of emission–free, renewable energy. In addition to voluntarily capping emissions and making significant investments to reduce energy and emissions, Mohawk is one of the top 25 largest purchasers of wind-generated electricity RECs among manufacturing companies in the U.S. On June 1, 2007, Mohawk Fine Papers increased its purchase of wind–generated electricity RECs from 60,000,000 kWh to 100,000,000 kWh annually. This is enough to match 100% of the electric power required for all of Mohawk’s operations in its New York and Ohio facilities.

In March of 2007, Mohawk joined the U.S. EPA Climate Leaders program to further develop greenhouse gas reduction goals. As an extension of our voluntary commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to support renewable electric power, Mohawk began to offer products that are made carbon neutral. Today, Beckett Cambric, Beckett Expression, Beckett Concept, Beckett Enhance, Beckett Ridge, Strathmore Writing, and Strathmore Script are made carbon neutral within our production processes by offsetting thermal manufacturing emissions with VERs and the emissions from purchased electricity with Green–e certified windpower RECs.What is carbon neutral?

Carbon neutral is an emerging international trend that can describe products, operations and activities, which have had their emissions calculated and reduced where possible. The remaining carbon dioxide emissions are then "offset" through credits that fund renewable, emission–free energy projects such as wind farms and solar installations. The carbon offset market allows businesses to recognize and financially support the shift from fossil fuel to renewable energy.
As a partner in the EPA Climate Leaders program, Mohawk is completing an "emission inventory." The results of this rigorous process will provide the basis for further emission reductions and carbon offsets. Mohawk purchases VERs which support renewable energy projects. These offsets are third–party verified to meet the standards of the Environmental Resources Trust’s GHG (Greenhouse Gas) Registry. The GHG Registry Standard is based on guidelines developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the international scientific body supporting the Kyoto Protocol.

For Mohawk's carbon neutral qualification, Mohawk offsets both the electricity and the thermal energy used to make paper. Beckett Cambric, Beckett Expression, Beckett Concept, Beckett Enhance, Beckett Ridge, Strathmore Writing and Strathmore Script are made carbon neutral within our production processes by offsetting thermal manufacturing emissions with VERs and emissions from purchased electricity with RECs from Green–e certified windpower projects.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Mohawk announces 100% windpower

As of June 1, 2007, Mohawk Fine Papers has increased its purchase of wind-generated electricity RECs from 60,000,000 kWh to 100,000,000 kWh annually. This represents 100% of all of the electric energy used for all of Mohawk’s manufacturing, converting and distribution operations in New York and Ohio. In 2003 Mohawk became one the first large-scale production facilities in the United States to use non-polluting wind-generated electricity.
All Mohawk, Beckett and Strathmore Writing and Script grades are entirely manufactured with wind-generated electricity and certified by Green-e, the nation's leading independent certification and verification program for renewable energy products.
Mohawk Fine Papers and its mills were the first in the U.S. to use wind-generated energy to manufacture paper. With many of its corporate customers seeking ways to mitigate their impacts on the environment and looking for innovative ways to highlight their socially responsible actions, Mohawk responded by developing a complete portfolio of papers manufactured with non-polluting, wind-generated electricity from wind farms in upstate New York and Pennsylvania.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Baron is FSC Certified

Baron, one of the national engravers and printers, dedicated to leading the way on environmental standards, has earned the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) Chain of Custody certification (#SCS-COC-001699). FSC is recognized world-wide as the most rigorous and credible forest certification system.

FSC Chain of Custody Certification means that our company meets strict tracking requirements for insuring that products we sell as FSC-certified come from well-managed forests and meet FSC international standards.

Many of our customers were requesting information on Green Printing but were limited by budgetary constraints. Baron did an extensive research and now can offer several options making green printing affordable.

There are many solutions for your firm to go green. Please review the following information to see what options your firm might be interested in:

• Use recycled products made with post-consumer waste (PCW), that means that materials were previously used and collected for recycling

• Use recycled products made with a mixture of virgin wood fiber and pre-consumer or post-consumer waste

• Choose 100% cotton papers - 100% recycled, completely Tree-Free and automatically environmentally friendly

• Select FSC certified papers, an FSC certified printer and show the FSC logo on your stationery and marketing materials.