Local mill plays part in Gore's new book

NEWTON FALLS — Newton Falls Fine Paper is mentioned by former Vice President Al Gore in his book, "Our Choice, A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis."

Newton Falls Fine Paper was chosen to custom-make recycled paper for the book.

The former vice president wrote in a section about the book that he worked to ensure that its publication would contribute as little as possible to greenhouse gases, to represent actions that could be taken to lessen the impact on the atmosphere.

The book's paper "contains 10 percent post-consumer waste, with the balance coming from industrial waste streams. Both sources of pulp recycle paper that might otherwise go into landfills," he wrote.

"Compared with paper made of virgin fiber, the stock used in 'Our Choice' conserved 1,153 trees and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by about 110,000 pounds of carbon dioxide," he wrote. "This also saved 366 million BTUs of energy and reduced wastewater by 528,000 gallons."

The book also uses a lighter weight paper.

"An additional 15 percent of paper fiber, carbon dioxide emissions, energy and water was saved," the former vice president wrote. "In order to avoid the destruction of our forests, it is important that we use paper pulp sources that are responsibly managed and sustainable."

The book was printed and bound by a company in Taunton, Mass., chosen in part because of its proximity to the mill and the publisher's warehouse to reduce the amount of fuel used in shipping.

Mr. Gore is the author of several books on the environment and was the narrator of the Academy Award-winning documentary "An Inconvenient Truth." He was a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.

The Newton Falls mill uses 50 percent recycled fibers in its general production but would like to be at 100 percent. It also is trying to retool its heating and operational systems toward environmental sustainability.