Employees showcase “Smart Ways” to be sustainable and become “Stars” with EPA

GP’s Leaf River, Miss., Facility Becomes First Pulp Mill to Earn EPA ENERGY STAR Certification

Efforts to reduce water use, use energy efficiently and streamline resources used to ship products across the U.S. earned employees and GP facilities a variety of awards from the EPA this fall.

At the beginning of November, Georgia-Pacific facilities received several awards and certifications, including the ENERGY STAR® Top Project for 2020, an ENERGY STAR® Certification and the SmartWay Excellence Award.

The Leaf River cellulose mill in New Augusta, Mississippi, became the first U.S. pulp mill to earn the EPA’s ENERGY STAR certification, signifying that the manufacturing facility performed in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency this year.

“The Leaf River team works hard to find and create new and more efficient ways to transform the way we operate the mill,” said Chuck LaPorte, general manager of the Leaf River Cellulose mill. “I’m proud of the great work being done by our employees to advance the facility’s efforts to consume fewer resources and achieving EPA’s Energy Star certification underscores the team’s dedication and commitment to this goal.”

Georgia-Pacific’s Palatka, Florida, consumer products mill and the kraft papermaking department team was awarded the EPA’s ENERGY STAR® Top Project for 2020 for achieving a 40 percent water reduction in a 10-week period through investments in improved equipment and monitoring.

“As a company, we believe in being responsible stewards of our natural resources,” said Mike Griffith, general manager of the Palatka mill. “Since 2018, we have placed considerable focus on how much water we use daily and how much we can save. This work exemplifies the type of collaboration and results we see across the Palatka team every day and I’m proud of the team for identifying opportunities that strengthen and improve our operations and conserve resources.”

Lastly, for a second year in a row, Georgia-Pacific and KBX Logistics were awarded the EPA SmartWay Excellence Award for their innovations in streamlined shipping efficiency. The two companies continue to collaborate on improving practices in intermodal shipping, load capacity and backhauls.

“We’re honored to accept the SmartWay Excellence Award from the EPA on behalf of Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products LLC for a second year in a row,” said Ken Weber, Director Dedicated Fleets of KBX Logistics. “This award recognizes freight and supply chain industry leaders, like us, for our outstanding environmental stewardship, and validates that what we implement and continue to refine is making a difference. Improving our operating efficiencies is a full-time focus and is good for both the business and the environment.”

Georgia-Pacific, our facilities and our partners are dedicated to streamlining our businesses through a sustainability lens. Winning isn’t everything, but we are honored to be recognized for our successes and will continue to strive to meet and exceed the standards set for us by the EPA and other sustainability focused organizations.
https://www.gp.com/news/2020/11/employees-showcase-smart-ways-to-be-sustainable-and-become-stars-with-epa

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