For the fifth year in a row, Appleton Coated (Combined Locks, Wis., USA) announced this past week that the company has earned the designation of "Green Master" through the Green Masters Program of the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council. Company representatives were honored at the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council Conference on December 4 for attaining the highest tier achievable in the program.

"It is clear that Appleton Coated has embraced sustainability, and has integrated the idea into all facets of their business," said Tom Eggert, executive director of the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council.

Contributing to its 2015 Green Master Award, Appleton Coated has expanded its product offering to include more items made with high levels of post-consumer recycled fiber (PCRF) and more items made with Green-e® certified green power through its purchase of renewable energy credits (recs).

"At Appleton Coated, we are committed to continual improvement of our environmental impact. Responsible sourcing, high PCRF products, and renewable energy are key touch-points. For our customers, our products and practices support their sustainability efforts in environmental compliance, supply chain, and in their printed materials.... Employee involvement is another key area for us, driving awareness, involvement, and improvement across our organization," said Jenni Birkholz, senior marketing specialist for sustainability.

As a Green Master, Appleton Coated’s performance was evaluated using nine sustainability areas: energy, carbon and other emissions, water, waste management, transportation, supply chain, community and educational outreach, workforce, and governance. Only the top 20% of participating companies achieve the highest "Green Master" designation.