NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y., Sept. 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Covanta, a world leader in sustainable waste and energy solutions, has been named a winner of the Business Intelligence Group's 2020 Sustainability Awards in the Service of the Year category for its innovative circular economy partnership with Greenpac Mill LLC in Niagara Falls, NY. The partnership between the Covanta Niagara Waste-to-Energy facility and Greenpac Mill, a manufacturer of lightweight linerboard, provides a trailblazing example of the benefits of sustainable collaboration that advances the practical usage of recyclable products, eliminates the consumption of fossil fuels and manages residual waste responsibly.
Considered the most advanced and largest facility of its kind in North America, Greenpac Mill manufactures a lightweight linerboard made with 100 percent recycled fibers. The linerboard is produced with significantly less water and less fiber than similar strength paper, making Greenpac Mill's product one of the strongest fully-recycled linerboard in North America.
The partnership has enabled Greenpac Mill to operate without the use of fossil fuels. In their place, Greenpac Mill is able to use the steam generated by Covanta's Niagara Falls facility from municipal solid waste (MSW), a reliable and renewable source of energy, for a majority of its energy needs. Covanta converts the mill's recycling byproducts into electricity, which is distributed to six other companies along the steam loop as inputs into their own production processes. It is in this way that waste from one company literally becomes fuel for another, with energy as an output to power the entire community. In leveraging the Waste-to-Energy process for sustainable materials management, all companies in the steam loop are helping to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions by diverting waste from landfills, thus avoiding the potent methane emissions they emit.
This circular economy example has proven a recipe for success, resulting in the diversion of more than 17,000 tons of waste per year from landfill, while helping to produce more than 21,000 megawatt hours of renewable energy for the Niagara region
"We are pleased to be recognized for our efforts in cultivating a successful application of a circular economy among a consortium of businesses in the Niagara region of New York, fueled by Waste-to-Energy," said Paul Stauder, president of Covanta Environmental Solutions. "Sustainability is a mindset; a commitment to preserving the world's valuable resources for future generations. We're proud to call Greenpac Mill a partner in this effort and hope that other companies learn from this example."
"From day one, the Greenpac Mill set out with the goal of having an enhanced green presence in Niagara Falls," said Murray Hewitt general manager at Greenpac Mill LLC. "Through our partnership with Covanta, Greenpac Mill is positioned to achieve this goal and is well on its way to achieving zero-waste-to-landfill in the near future."
In 2019, Covanta's Rx4Safety program was similarly recognized by the Business Intelligence Group's Sustainability Awards program in the Service of the Year category.
About Covanta
Covanta is a world leader in providing sustainable waste and energy solutions. Annually, Covanta's modern Energy-from-Waste facilities safely convert approximately 21 million tons of waste from municipalities and businesses into clean, renewable electricity to power one million homes and recycle 550,000 tons of metal. Through a vast network of treatment and recycling facilities, Covanta also provides comprehensive industrial material management services to companies seeking solutions to some of today's most complex environmental challenges. For more information, visit www.covanta.com.
About Greenpac Mill LLC
Greenpac Mill LLC is a state-of-the-art recycled lightweight Linerboard mill producing 540,000 st per year. It is a partnership of Cascades Inc, Jamestown Containers and several community partners. The mill is managed by Cascades Containerboard Packaging a division of Cascades Inc. www.cascades.com
About Business Intelligence Group
The Business Intelligence Group was founded with the mission of recognizing true talent and superior performance in the business world. Unlike other industry award programs, business executives—those with experience and knowledge—judge the programs. The organization's proprietary and unique scoring system selectively measures performance across multiple business domains and then rewards those companies whose achievements stand above those of their peers.
SOURCE Covanta
