NORPAC recycling efforts recognized with 2023 NWPPA Environmental Excellence Award
The Northwest Pulp & Paper Association has honored Longview’s NORPAC manufacturing facility with its 2023 Environmental Excellence Award. The award recognizes the facility’s $50 million capital investment, which has helped the mill’s ability to transform mixed wastepaper into lightweight recycled packaging papers – keeping more waste out of landfills, while creating more usable paper products.
NWPPA Executive Director Chris McCabe said the NORPAC investment is indicative of the industry’s commitment to implementing sustainable manufacturing practices.
“NORPAC has proven itself to be an industry leader, taking significant steps to solve a persistent environmental concern: managing mixed wastepaper,” said McCabe. “The facility’s new pulping equipment produces recycled packaging papers from waste material previously sent to China, helping to solve a major environmental challenge while safeguarding more than 400 local family-wage jobs and supporting many other indirect jobs in Southwest Washington and beyond,” he added. “We want to congratulate the entire team at NORPAC for their innovative and environmentally responsible approach to recycling.”
“We want to thank NWPPA for recognizing NORPAC and for highlighting our commitment to environmentally sustainable practices,” said NORPAC CEO Craig Anneberg. “This $50 million capital investment expanded our ability to transform wastepaper into lightweight recycled paper for use in corrugated boxes and displays, paper bags and other packaging products. It represents a tremendous win for our facility, for our workers, and for the environment, and we are proud to receive this honor on behalf of our company.”
Todd Brooks, NORPAC engineering manager said, “The new recycled fiber plant, when combined with the legacy facility, allows the company to recycle nearly 1 million tons of recovered paper each year and create new products manufactured from 100 percent recycled wastepaper. Much of which this wastepaper would otherwise be destined for landfill.”
“From a technological standpoint, this investment marks a significant step forward in terms of re-capturing wastepaper materials and transforming them into usable paper products, keeping more material out of the landfill,” Brooks added.
