SCA Ortviken wins PPI's Environmental Strategy of the Year Award

SUNDSVALL, Sweden, Oct. 29, 2009 (Press Release) - On the evening of Wednesday, 28 October, SCA Ortviken received one of the most prestigious prizes in the paper industry, PPI's Environmental Strategy of the Year Award - Mill Prize.

The Environmental Strategy of the Year Award is presented by industry magazine Pulp & Paper International (PPI) to the mill that has gone the extra mile and above the call of duty to implement environmental solutions. The judges looked for a showcase mill that takes all the elements of impact on the environment into consideration, including sourcing of raw material, air and water emissions, and water and energy use.

"I am thrilled to have received this fine distinction as an acknowledgement of that we are focused on the right areas in our long-term environmental work," says Kristina Enander, Mill Manager SCA Ortviken. "It is extremely important and completely natural for us to actively work with environmental aspects as part of our strategy. We all have a responsibility for the environment and we also have a responsibility toward our customers to offer environmentally friendly products."

In the evaluation process, SCA Ortviken was highly praised for it´s long-term approach in its environmental work. Chlorine-free pulp was introduced in production already in 1995. SCA was also the first in Europe to offer FSC-certified publication paper back in 2000. Furthermore, the mill uses an extremely low proportion of fossil fuels and has efficient energy-recovery systems. Surplus heat from the mill is delivered to the district heating of the Municipality of Sundsvall. The mill has also significantly reduced emissions to air and water.

"It is important for us that customer confidence in our company is high, that we deliver value, high-quality products and maintain a distinct environmental profile. We are very proud to accept this prestigious award, which confirms our high ambitions with respect to our long-term environmental work," says Rolf Johannesson, Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing SCA, who received the award at a ceremony at Hilton Park in Munich.

The inaugural PPI Awards honour leadership, vision, innovation and strategic accomplishments of companies, mills and individuals within the pulp and paper industry. The PPI Awards are the only global awards dedicated to recognizing these achievements in the pulp and paper sector. The competition was divided into ten categories and in each of these categories, five participants progressed to the final. In the categorie Environmental Strategy - Mill Prize the four other participants came from USA, Canada, Denmark and Sweden.

Ahead of the final, PPI Magazine's editor Mark Rushton was impressed with the high quality and the large number of applicants wishing to participate in the competition, which was held for the first time.

"The PPI Awards are a possibility to honour the best in the industry and the finalists have every reason to be proud of their achievements," says Mark Rushton.