Green Bay Packaging has long been a champion of the environment.
That commitment to sustainability was front and center during one of its latest improvements — the folding carton addition.
“The building’s addition reflects the company’s ongoing commitment to sustainability,” said Molly Haack, senior marketing specialist with C.D. Smith Construction, the general contractor on the project. “With the help of the Focus on Energy program for design assistance, we incorporated sustainable features, such as energy-efficient doors and windows.”
Green Bay Packaging is a vertically integrated paperboard manufacturing company that operates 38 divisions in 17 states with a global presence in Mexico and Canada. Headquartered in Green Bay, the company has more than $2 billion in annual sales and over 4,000 employees.
With the folding carton addition, the two primary goals were to increase production and storage capacity and to enhance the work environment. Offices feature floor-to-ceiling windows for natural light and a gym with state-of-the-art equipment.
The project presented many challenges for C.D. Smith’s team.
“Due to the grades of the site, stormwater management, and the existing structure, the new addition’s finished floor needed to be 2 feet higher than the existing building,” Haack said. “We constructed a ramp inside the addition to effectively erase the height difference so employees can easily move between the two buildings.
“We also encountered a delay in receiving the building’s roofing materials, but we overcame it by adjusting the project’s schedule. Despite kicking off the project at the height of the pandemic, we were fortunate not to experience any additional supply chain issues.”
AboutGreen Bay Packaging, Inc.
Established in 1933, Green Bay Packaging Inc. is a family-owned, vertically integrated manufacturing company consisting of corrugated container plants, a folding carton facility, recycled and virgin linerboard mills, pressure-sensitive label roll stock plants, specialty converting operations, timberlands, and a sawmill facility. Headquartered in Green Bay, Wis., Green Bay Packaging is dedicated to the innovative development of its products and forestry resources, with a focus on safety, sustainability, quality, and continuous improvement throughout all 37 facilities in 16 states. For more information about Green Bay Packaging Inc., visit gbp.com
To learn more about the project from the original source, click here
From left to right: Bob Mihalski, Director of Mill Sales, Trades and Continuous Improvement, Lisa Bauer-Lotto, MS. Corporate Director, Environment & Sustainability, William Cone, Vice President and General Manager Green Bay Mill Division, Andrew Stoub, Environmental Manager
For strategic growth, Green Bay Packaging Inc. (GBP) constructed a new 100% recycled paper mill in Green Bay that uses recycled old corrugated containers (OCC) and mixed office paper to produce paper used to make packaging and boxes. The new mill was a substantial investment, not just in the productive capacity of the mill and quality of our products, but importantly in the company’s sustainability efforts. It reflects fidelity to GBP’s deep heritage of environmental stewardship and its commitment to an environmentally sustainable future.
We are seeing a shift in customer and stakeholder interest toward increased sustainability attributes of their products and their desire to align with likeminded sustainable supply chain partners, like GBP. In a visible example of this interest, we have seen a blossom of tours by customers, other paper mills, supply partners, community and education stakeholders that wish to see first-hand the technology and advanced sustainability performance of the next level for papermaking at our Green Bay mill.
One of these industry leading advancements drawing attention is the mill’s use of “reclaimed” water and its circular water system, where municipal wastewater is recovered and treated by GBP for further reuse. A portion of the Green Bay mill make-up process water is piped from the municipal wastewater discharge (NEW Water) with additional treatment for continued use in our papermaking. The reclaimed wastewater replaces water volume that otherwise would be city’s freshwater (tap water) supply. A water system that fully counterbalances its freshwater demand through the use (and reuse) of reclaimed water is known as a “net zero” water system. The GBP Green Bay mill is the first in the world to achieve third-party validation as a net zero water operation, by United Laboratories (UL). In 2022 alone, the water saving innovation of the circular reclaimed water system and advanced technology reduced use of water from Lake Michigan by more than 200 million gallons. It resulted in 30% less water use per ton of paper production.
Paper mills are water intensive and highly reliant on water sourcing which, makes net zero water use in a papermill setting a seminal achievement. Water as the lifeblood of papermaking, transports the paper fiber through the papermaking process, with the paper starting as 99% water and 1% fiber and the final product consisting of approximately 8% moisture. GBP chose to be more water resilient with reclaimed water use and avoid the need for any direct intake or discharge to the adjacent Fox River. In addition to the efficiency gains and the importance of water stewardship to the company, it was a key decision for the long-term strategy of the mill sustainable water program to incorporate reclaimed water due to the increasing regulatory uncertainty in this area. Attributed to water treatment removal efficiencies, our reclaimed water system has resulted in 64% less BOD and 73% less TSS per ton of paper production. Using an alternative (reclaimed) water supply also benefits the shared local water resource, protecting water quality.
Paper is a sustainable product of nature sourced from responsibly managed forests. The trees are grown and nurtured like a crop in tree farms. Paper is renewable, recyclable and wood fiber regenerative. The forests have sustainable green attributes during the years of growth absorbing the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (carbon sequestration) and in final products (carbon storage). For the corrugated packaging industry to remain sustainable we rely on virgin wood fiber inputs; without virgin fiber from trees recycled fiber (paper) would not exist. Boxes can be recycled about seven times– seven lives!
Advancing water stewardship of paper mill water systems pays homage to the Kress family’s vision, starting with its founder George Kress. The Green Bay mill was the first in the world to have a closed process-water-loop in the early 1990s and was featured in a National Geographic article on The Magic of Paper, March 1997. In 2022, the GBP Green Bay mill was recognized for sustainable circularity and water stewardship on many levels to include the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council’s 2022 Sustainable Product of the Year, Clean Water Action Council award to Will Kress as Environmental Citizen of the Year and American Forest and Paper Association peer industry award for Leadership in Sustainability.
The success of any good sustainability investment for change should be measured not in awards received but in gallons, energy, and waste. The overall sustainability performance of the mill investment has reduced impacts by 25% less greenhouse gas, 12% less energy, 30% less water and 33% less waste per ton paper production. These reductions are assurance of GBP’s sustainability commitment on transformative manufacturing through product innovation, technology and pioneering ‘out-of-the box’ advancements into our products.
AboutGreen Bay Packaging, Inc.
Established in 1933, Green Bay Packaging Inc. is a family-owned, vertically integrated manufacturing company consisting of corrugated container plants, a folding carton facility, recycled and virgin linerboard mills, pressure-sensitive label roll stock plants, specialty converting operations, timberlands, and a sawmill facility. Headquartered in Green Bay, Wis., Green Bay Packaging is dedicated to the innovative development of its products and forestry resources, with a focus on safety, sustainability, quality, and continuous improvement throughout all 37 facilities in 16 states. For more information about Green Bay Packaging Inc., visit gbp.com
To learn more about our Green Bay Mill, click here. To learn more about our sustainability efforts, you can click here.
To view the digital Impact Magazine issue, click here
Milwaukee,Wisconsin – The Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council (WSBC) is proud to announce the 2022 Sustainable Business Award winners. These awards celebrate recipients that demonstrate cutting-edge environmental, social, and governance leadership and recognizes them for being leaders in their industry and community. The winners exhibit leadership, initiative, and innovation and make measurable impacts across their businesses and the communities they serve.
Jessy Servi Ortiz, Managing Director of WSBC, explains, “Businesses play a crucial role in delivering solutions to customers and markets. These awards recognize Wisconsin businesses for delivering value through sustainable integration and driving sustainable adoption and innovation in the market.”
Innovative Service of the Year: Printing using UV LED Curing Technology by Empire Screen Printing
Executive Sustainable Leadership: Chris Drees, President, Mercury Marine
Sustainable Champion: Scott Louks, Sustainability Manager, Mercury Marine
The Award finalists and winners were celebrated at the WSBC Sustainable Business Awards Reception at the US Venture building in Titletown, Green Bay, on November 15, 2022, at 5:00 PM.
A special leadership award is also given in honor of WSBC’s founder and executive director emeritus. The Thomas L. Eggert Leadership Forward Award recognizes Eggert’s legacy and countless contributions to the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Community.
This year, the award was presented to LeeAnn Glover of American Family Insurance as an individual who has supported and contributed to growing and extending the network of sustainability in her organization and beyond.
Established in 1933, Green Bay Packaging Inc. is a family-owned, vertically integrated manufacturing company consisting of corrugated container plants, a folding carton facility, recycled and virgin linerboard mills, pressure-sensitive label roll stock plants, specialty converting operations, timberlands, and a sawmill facility. Headquartered in Green Bay, Wis., Green Bay Packaging is dedicated to the innovative development of its products and forestry resources, with a focus on safety, sustainability, quality, and continuous improvement throughout all 37 facilities in 16 states. For more information about Green Bay Packaging Inc., visit gbp.com
To learn more about Green Bay Packaging’s positive impact on surrounding areas click here
Honored for 13 consecutive years of regulatory compliance with the Clean Water Act and impressive environmental programming, Green Bay Packaging Inc. in Fort Worth has been named Industry of the Year in the City of Fort Worth’s annual Environmental Awards program.
The award was among several presented Thursday during the 2022 Environmental Excellence Awards. The awards have been handed out since 1999.
Fort Worth Water Director Chris Harder praised the winners for their commitment to environmental excellence and “leaving our areas of responsibility in better shape than when we started.”
“We are all in partnership together,” Harder said. “Congratulations to each of you on another year of success and achievement.”
Green Bay Packaging was also presented a Pollution Prevention Award for diverting more than 98% of facility waste from going to the landfill in 2021. Through reuse, recycling or recovery, the company diverted 7,251 tons out of 7,302 tons of waste generated.
Pollution Prevention Awards were also presented to Air Force Plant No. 4, Alcon Vision LLC., Hillshire Brands Haltom City plant, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Tyson Prepared Foods in North Richland Hills, and the Western Currency Facility.
Tarrant County College District was named winner of the Fort Worth Friendly Landscapes recognition award.
In all, 81 Fort Worth companies were honored for their compliance with wastewater regulations. Another 24 companies in six cities that contract with Fort Worth for industrial pretreatment services also earned recognition.
The City’s water utility sponsors the awards.
AboutGreen Bay Packaging, Inc.
Established in 1933, Green Bay Packaging Inc. is a family-owned, vertically integrated manufacturing company consisting of corrugated container plants, a folding carton facility, recycled and virgin linerboard mills, pressure-sensitive label roll stock plants, specialty converting operations, timberlands, and a sawmill facility. Headquartered in Green Bay, Wis., Green Bay Packaging is dedicated to the innovative development of its products and forestry resources, with a focus on safety, sustainability, quality, and continuous improvement throughout all 37 facilities in 16 states. For more information about Green Bay Packaging Inc., visit gbp.com
To learn more about Green Bay Packaging’s positive impact on surrounding areas click here
The winning businesses, non-profits, schools and local governments demonstrate Wisconsin’s strong commitment to waste reduction and recycling through their projects and initiatives, overall program, innovation or special events.
The award recipients shared several reasons why waste reduction and diversion are important to them, including saving landfill space and resources, reducing pollution and promoting sustainability. But the resounding motivation was strengthening their community. Many of the winners conduct outreach, work closely with partners and provide valuable services for residents and local businesses.
Left to right – Masood Akhtar (BDC), Matthew Szymanski (Green Bay Packaging), Wes Ward (Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture)
Green Bay Packaging Honored with Biorenewable Deployment Consortium’s (BDC) Outstanding Innovation Award
Little Rock, Arkansas, November 15, 2022—The Biorenewable Deployment Consortium (BDC) honored Green Bay Packaging with the 2022 Outstanding Innovation Award for their culture of innovation through partnerships.
The Outstanding Innovation Award was presented for Green Bay Packaging’s broad efforts in the advancement of the paper manufacturing industry. This supports BDC’s goals of bridging new technologies from other industries into the paper industry. As the host mill of the BDC Fall Forum, the Arkansas Kraft Mill demonstrated how they are actively involved in research and their partnership with BDC to deploy successful biorenewables and renewable energy sources.
Green Bay, Wis. (November, 2022) – The Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council has named Green Bay Packaging Inc. a Green Master within its Green Masters Program. Recognizing sustainable actions in businesses from across Wisconsin, the Green Masters program works to identify businesses that have taken at actions in each of the nine pillars of sustainability. Participants in the program receive recognition for their sustainability accomplishments and develop ideas for future sustainability actions. Green Bay Packaging has achieved the Green Master designation for its thirteenth consecutive year.
Green Bay Packaging (GBP) has incorporated sustainability into its strategic business plan and deployed it through widespread initiatives, technology, and innovation to take its sustainability efforts to the next level.
5 member companies recognized for outstanding sustainability initiatives and new award for diversity, equity and inclusion.
WASHINGTON – The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) today announced its Better Practices, Better Planet 2030 Sustainability Award winners, which recognize exemplary sustainability programs and initiatives in the paper and wood products manufacturing industry.
“This is the first year we are presenting awards in alignment with our new Better Practices, Better Planet 2030 sustainability goals and statement of principles on diversity, equity and inclusion,” said AF&PA President and CEO Heidi Brock. “It is exciting to see examples of these goals in action. We are also pleased to present an award for our new category focused on diversity, equity and inclusion.”
May 20, 2022 – At the 2022 Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Awards, Green Bay Packaging took home the Grand Award in the Mega Category. This award recognizes Wisconsin companies for their extraordinary performance, strength, and vibrancy in the manufacturing industry. Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) President & CEO Kurt R. Bauer believes that “Manufacturing is the backbone of Wisconsin’s economy. It not only sustains high-wage, family-supporting careers and contributes billions to our economic growth, it also provides the tools and technology that ensure Wisconsin is a leader in innovation.”
GREEN BAY, WI – June 30, 2022 – Green Bay Packaging Inc. (GBP), announced that it has acquired Interstate Packaging Corp. located in Albert Lea, MN. The acquisition is effective June 30, 2022.
Interstate Packaging Corp. has an excellent reputation in the marketplace for their experience and ingenuity of manufacturing innovative, high-quality corrugated products. Their Midwest roots provide the team of employees with a strong work ethic, a commitment to quality solutions and customer satisfaction. Interstate Packaging’s facility in Albert Lea, MN provides service to South Central Minnesota, Southwest Wisconsin, Iowa and Eastern South Dakota.
