Sustainability
At Rapids Paper + Packaging, sustainability is rooted in more than a century of responsible papermaking. As a family-founded business with a strong Midwestern heritage, we’ve always believed that doing the right thing for our customers goes hand-in-hand with doing the right thing for our environment, our people, and our communities.
Today, that commitment guides how we source materials, operate our facilities, and design innovative paper-based packaging solutions. Our approach centers on four principles:
Circularity First
Designing packaging solutions that enable recycling, repulping, and responsible end-of-life pathways.
Responsible Manufacturing
Investing in cleaner, more efficient operations and continually reducing our environmental footprint.
Material Innovation
Developing next-generation functional papers, such as our Ecova™ heat-sealable line, that help brands transition from legacy substrates to more sustainable options.
People & Community
Supporting the long-term health of our workforce and contributing to the vitality of the communities where we operate.
Environmental Stewardship
Our philosophy is simple: use resources wisely, minimize impact, and improve every year.
Environmental stewardship is part of our identity. At our Shawano, Wisconsin mill and our converting operations, we prioritize:
Sustainably sourced fiber
including certified and responsibly managed forestry inputs
Water stewardship
with systems designed for efficiency and responsible treatment
Energy management
including continuous upgrades to improve efficiency and reduce emissions
Water reduction
including recovery of fiber residuals and diversion programs
Local environmental leadership
collaborating with regional partners to protect natural resources
Ecova™ Paper — Sustainable Packaging Innovation
Ecova™ is our next-generation platform for functional, heat-sealable paper. Created for brands seeking to replace traditional flexible films, Ecova delivers:
- Heat-sealable paper alternative that works as a “drop-in” solution on existing converting and packing lines
- Functional coatings tailored to performance needs (oil/grease resistance, moisture management, durability, runnability)
- Curbside recyclability in municipal paper streams (subject to regional guidelines and product-specific testing)
- A fully paper-based structure that supports a transition to more circular packaging
Ecova™ represents the intersection of Rapids’ papermaking heritage and our commitment to modern, sustainable packaging innovation.
Certifications
Rapids Paper + Packaging operates with recognized industry certifications and testing that validate our commitment to responsible sourcing, manufacturing quality, and product performance.
Fiber Sourcing & Chain of Custody
FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council) – Certifies responsible forest management and traceability
SFI® (Sustainable Forestry Initiative) – Supports sustainable fiber sourcing
PEFC™ (if applicable) – Global program endorsing credible forestry certification systems
Quality & Operational Certifications
ISO 9001 – Quality management systems (as applicable to facilities)
Food safety / hygiene certifications (e.g., GFSI/SQF for converting, where relevant)
Recyclability & repulpability testing via recognized third parties (e.g., Western Michigan University, independent labs)
Environmental Compliance
Comprehensive wastewater treatment systems
Air emissions compliance with continuous improvement programs
Regular environmental reporting to state and local agencies
Reports & Metrics
While Rapids Paper + Packaging has historically shared performance metrics directly with customers and partners, we are expanding our sustainability reporting as part of our new unified brand.
Current areas tracked include:
- Fiber sourcing transparency (percentages of certified fiber)
- Water use and treatment performance in mill operations
- Energy consumption and efficiency projects
- Waste reduction, including fiber recovery and landfill diversion initiatives
- Recyclability testing and results for new paper structures, including Ecova™ grades
As Rapids Paper + Packaging, we are committed to growing our reporting framework and sharing more data on environmental goals, continuous improvement initiatives, and product sustainability performance in the years ahead.
