More Product Highlights

Green, or sustainable, building can provide economic and environmental benefits by being energy efficient and durable, which saves costs, and resource efficient, which encourages conservation.

There are also intangible benefits such as a better quality of life and knowing that a structure has been built to have a reduced environmental effect.

As a leading building products manufacturer, Georgia-Pacific understands that we have an impact on people's everyday lives through the plywood, lumber and gypsum products we supply for homes, schools, hospitals and offices.

That's why we make products that meet people's needs for affordability, efficiency and performance as well as conserve and efficiently use our resources.

Here are some examples of Georgia-Pacific's sustainable building products:

Georgia-Pacific Professional, which makes paper products for use in restaurants, hotels, airports, sports arenas and other public places, recently earned EcoLogo^®* certification for a broad range of towel, tissue and napkin products.

As part of the certification process, the three mills where GP Professional products are made underwent a rigorous audit of their manufacturing processes and recordkeeping. This included areas such as natural resource use, energy efficiency, wastewater quality and solid waste generation.

"EcoLogo certification is recognition of our long-time dedication to environmental stewardship and clearly shows our commitment to being a sustainable partner with our customers," says Dan Silk, vice president -- sustainability for GP Professional.

The EcoLogo certification will give the Professional business access to customers who specify third-party certification of their tissue, towel and napkin products.

*EcoLogo is a third-party eco-labelling program and one of two standards in North America approved by the Global Ecolabelling Network, an international association of eco-labelling programs, as meeting the ISO 14024 environmental marketing standard.

With today's well-insulated, tightly constructed green buildings, indoor air quality has taken on a greater level of importance. Tighter construction leads to better energy efficiency, but it also means that there is less air flow in and out of these buildings -- a good example of the complexity of making green building decisions.

Georgia-Pacific's chemical business, which makes resins and adhesives for use in a variety of building products, has been working with customers to address their interest in resins that emit lower levels of formaldehyde.

"Green building standards, as well as new state environmental regulations, are changing the product needs of many of our customers," says Shelley Woods Whiting, Director, Commercial Development and Marketing for the company's chemical business.

Georgia-Pacific Chemicals recently introduced a new line of low-emission adhesives designed to help its customers on both these fronts. LEAF^™ adhesives can contribute to product qualifications for a variety of green building standards in addition to complying with the state of California's new regulations for composite wood products.

"LEAF products not only have lower emissions profiles, but they also work well with existing manufacturing processes so they can be easily substituted," says Ashlee Cribb, Business Manager, Wood Adhesives. "These environmental and economic benefits make LEAF adhesives a sustainable solution."

Georgia-Pacific Professional, which supplies towels, tissues, soaps, air fresheners, wipers, dispensing systems and other products for public spaces such as office buildings, hospitals, hotels, airports and sports arenas, has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a Champion in the agency's Design for the Environment Program's Safer Detergents Stewardship Initiative (SDSI).

The SDSI program recognizes organizations that voluntarily commit to the use of safer surfactants that break down quickly to non-polluting compounds and help protect aquatic life in both fresh and salt water.

The Champion designation covers Georgia-Pacific Professional's tissue manufacturing process and hand soap products. The company was the first to meet the EPA's recommendations on both a tissue manufacturing process and end product.

"This recognition underscores our commitment to sustainable practices and pollution prevention," says Dan Silk, vice president of sustainability for Georgia-Pacific Professional.

Champion is the highest level of recognition offered under SDSI.

Consumers like a strong paper plate. So when Georgia-Pacific's Dixie business introduced its new Dixie^® Ultra plate, it became a regular guest at picnics, tailgate parties and Tuesday night dinners at home.

Forty percent stronger than before, Dixie Ultra is the strongest paper plate on the market.

What's behind all that added strength? Innovation and sustainability. Renewable wood fiber has given Dixie^® plates their strength for more than 50 years. But making them 40 percent stronger didn't take any more wood fiber. By changing the angle of the plate's rim, Dixie engineers were able to increase the plate's strength without having to use more raw materials. This innovative approach benefited customers as well as contributed to Georgia-Pacific's sustainability efforts.