In the past 15 years, Monadnock Paper Mills has reduced its water consumption by 55 percent through the installation of water recycling equipment, utilizing valve restrictors and instituting other projects identified by the company’s water conservation team, according to the paper manufacturer’s first Sustainability Progress Report.
Monadnock says it has worked to exceed aggressive impact reduction goals for the last 40 years. The company tracks impact reductions in several areas, including electricity consumption, carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, water usage and solid waste, among others.
The paper company says it achieved carbon neutrality in 2013, as well as making improvements to flashboards and a hydroelectric turbine in its generating facilities, which is expected to increase on-site hydropower generation by 400,000 kwH per year. One hundred percent of Monadnock’s electricity is derived from clean, renewable sources.
“A family-run company for nearly 200 years, we have always taken corporate social responsibility seriously and believe in holding ourselves accountable,” said Richard Verney, chairman and chief executive officer, Monadnock Paper Mills. “That responsibility is represented in the value we place on our dedicated employees and in the high-quality products we deliver to our customers. We are proud to say that while reducing environmental impacts we continue to experience growth in new markets and defy papermaking consolidation that is occurring worldwide.”
Monadnock says it always seeks out new opportunities to reduce environmental impacts to meet and exceed its goals. For example, the waste water that is discharged from its purification facilities exceeds the state’s standards for water quality and is actually cleaner than the river water into which it is eventually released.
Sustainability initiatives are a company-wide effort, according to Monadnock. In 2012 the “Green Team” was established, comprised of members from across all functional areas of the company that identifies opportunities for environmental impact reductions and shares the results across the company to promote transparency and awareness.
In August, Monadnock was recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a recipient of a 2013 Environmental Merit Award for its significant contributions to environmental awareness and problem solving.
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Founder & Principal Consultant, Hower Impact
Mike Hower is the founder of Hower Impact — a boutique consultancy delivering best-in-class strategic communication advisory and support for corporate sustainability, ESG and climate tech.
Published Dec 20, 2013 1am EST / 10pm PST / 6am GMT / 7am CET