RICHMOND, VA,
Feb. 22, 2013
(Press Release) -
Sustainability has always been a part of who we are at MWV. As a global leader in packaging solutions, stewardship of our resources and respect for the environment have been engrained into our business operations since we were formed as a forestry company more than 150 years ago.
It's always an honor to be recognized for this commitment, especially from a local university whose leaders have also made sustainability a priority. MWV was recently recognized with two Crystal Awards in Sustainability at the VCU Energy and Sustainability Conference in Richmond, Virginia. The awards highlighted MWV's leadership in sustainability in the commercial real estate (large building) category for our Richmond headquarters and in the manufacturing category for our Covington facility.
When building our headquarters in downtown Richmond, we used energy-efficient, eco-friendly products and materials, from recycled glass and rubber to paints, furniture and carpeting with low volatile organic compounds. We are proud to add the Crystal Award in Sustainability to our four globes-the highest possible rating-from the Green Building Initiative for our headquarters building.
The awards recognized MWV employees for incorporating sustainability into their everyday lives-inside and outside of the office. We're proud to say that we use commercially compostable take-out café boxes and cups in our zero-waste office cafeteria. Those of us who drive fuel-efficient cars are rewarded with preferred parking spaces. We also have a green operations plan that encourages employee recycling and sustainable purchasing decisions.
VCU also recognized our Covington facility for sustainable practices. At this mill, where we produce approximately 1 million tons of paperboard per year, MWV has invested $285 million in a new biomass boiler. With the new boiler, the mill will be able to produce its own energy, reducing environmental impact and reducing operating costs.
MWV's new biomass boiler will keep the environment safer and cleaner with a 21 percent reduction in nitrogen dioxide, a 35 percent reduction in sulfur dioxide and a 4 percent reduction in particulate matter. Fueled mostly by woody biomass, such as tree bark and wood residues often left behind by logging operations, the boiler will have the capacity to process 370 tons of bio-solids from Covington's waste treatment plant facility each day.
Construction of the new biomass boiler began in the fall of 2011 and is currently on schedule to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2013.
Other organizations recognized by VCU for their commitment to sustainability were the City of Charlottesville, theCounty ofArlington, Inova Health System, Christchurch School, the Virginia Beach City Public Schools and Moseley Architects.
At MWV, we are always looking for new ways to increase our efficiency and reduce environmental impact. Our Richmond headquarters and the biomass boiler project at the Covington Mill are two examples of our commitment to build a sustainable future.
