Nice-Pak Products, Inc., the global leader in the manufacture of wet wipe products, has announced the transformation of its Green Bay, Wisconsin, manufacturing plant into a “zero landfill” facility. The plant now converts its industrial waste into biomass pellets that can be reused as fuel for electricity.Prior to the transformation, the plant had been sending 1200-1500 tons of waste per year to landfills.

“We are putting our sustainable and non-recyclable waste to good use by converting it into fuel pellets that will be consumed in industrial boilers to produce cleaner energy in the form of electricity,” said Brad Zenko, Senior Director of Operations. “Converting our waste into fuel pellets eliminates approximately 50,000 cubic feet of landfill per year and replaces approximately 1.0 million pounds of coal per year.”

Nice-Pak has long had an extensive focus on sustainability and waste reduction in every area of the company.All cardboard boxes, barrels and shrink wrap are recycled, and the balance of materials is converted into pellets.

This initiative is just one of the sustainability efforts underway at Nice-Pak. In January the company launched a strategic plan to coordinate sustainability initiatives taking place at its individual facilities. The five-year plan calls for converting another of its four U.S. plants to “zero landfill” in the next three years. It also addressed goals in the following areas: Energy Use & GHG Emissions, Materials Efficiency, Components & Chemistry, Water Impact, and Community Education. “Our products touch consumers more than 100 billion times a year. We have an opportunity to make a significant difference through environmentally responsible actions and to help educate families and communities about the important role they can have in protecting our environment,” said Robert Julius, chairman and CEO.