Green Bay Packaging (GBP) was highlighted in the Green Masters Company Spotlights as one of two companies that achieved success in their ongoing sustainability mission.

“In preparation for Earth Month, we decided to reach out to a couple Green Masters level companies as a way to highlight the success that they have had with regards to sustainability. The Green Masters program prides itself on the fact that it can be successfully utilized by any company, big or small, experienced or inexperienced. That is why we decided to seek out two companies that have successfully transformed their businesses to become more sustainable, while taking very different paths,” wrote the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council (WSBC).

WSBC continues to state, “Green Bay Packaging (GBP) has been awarded the Green Masters designation for 9 straight years (the most of any company in the program)! Since inception and as a pilot company of the Green Master Program, GBP has initiated and implemented advancing systems of core sustainability areas to accomplish awareness, key performance indicator (KPI) transparency and improvements across the company.”

The Green Master Program reached out to GBP to ask them a few questions related to their recent sustainability success, to provide some high-quality knowledge from an industry leader.

Sustainability Achievements

Green Bay Packaging (GBP) strives for achievements and continuous improvement in sustainability programs to advance sustainability stewardship within our operations and external stakeholders targets. Since inception and as a pilot company of the Green Master Program, GBP has initiated and implemented advancing systems of core sustainability areas to accomplish awareness, key performance indicator (KPI) transparency and improvements across our company.

In 2018, GBP started a significant investment in our business and community with a $500 million new state-of-the-art paper mill complex that incorporates reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, estimated reductions of 90%, with retirement of coal and cleaner natural gas fuel for the mill.

The project is a first of this size in Wisconsin to reclaim-recycle waters with adjoining sewerage district. The benefits to this project on environment energy impacts and optimized resources, which align with EPA’s water sustainability considerations that embrace water recycling stewardship practices.

Green Bay Packaging (GBP) was recognized from the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council for the ninth consecutive year, in 2018. This award emphasizes our dedication to sustainability initiatives and achievements throughout our operations while pursuing business excellence.

What role has the GMP played with regards to these sustainability achievements?

The Green Masters Program has prompted us to capture more detailed data, key performance emphasis on cause and effect assessments and an increased collaboration with sites on achievements and projects that produced beneficial sustainable results. Beneficially such projects model a best practice that other sites can consider for innovation and opportunity.

The GMP survey and questions incited an assessment of opportunities that has guided our business on where we could focus efforts for optimal improvements including rank based on our score placement in the various topics.

It also helps us generate ideas through networking and sharing so we are always improving and aspiring to become better. In addition, the recognition for being a Green Master is an acknowledgment that sites find rewarding too and serves of a continued incentive of site champion staff efforts to improve.

Do you have any advice that you would give to a company that is interested in sustainability, however, may not have much experience with it?

A wealth of sustainability information is available on the internet! Looking at like businesses and seeing what others are doing through their website and sustainability report communications is a great start.

Self-education on sustainability programs, like ISO, GRI, SMETA and science-based programs, provides awareness, demonstration, and expectations in business sustainability environments. To start, a baseline survey helps show you where your strengths are and where you need to start strategizing to improve. Utilize the networking aspect of the GMP program and other sustainability network groups.

GMP has a great mentoring program for companies that want help with their questionnaires. Focus on what makes sense for your business and what is going to make you a better company.

Have your sustainability achievements impacted any other aspects of the company? (profits, community feedback, employee engagement…etc)?

GBP sustainability KPI metric data and assessments on opportunities resulted in projects and innovations that reduced impacts, less water or energy, and beneficial project outcomes that reduced environmental impacts and costs.

GBP site-specific sustainability programs increase employee awareness and influence site champions. Our commitment on sustainability has given a competitive edge when it comes to our customer base.

It has also allowed us to maintain an ongoing and positive relationship with our communities and fostered great collaborative initiatives to increase sustainable achievements for GBP and the neighborhood.