ALPHARETTA, GA. - October 1, 2007 - You can buy virgin paper and still support responsible forest management. That's the takeaway from Neenah Paper's latest environmental certification.

The company's flagship STARWHITE Brand is now the first paper in North America to meet the requirements for labeling as FSC Pure. The FSC Pure label means the paper is made only with virgin fiber that comes from a forest certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

STARWHITE, known for its "Whites for All Occasions," is also now 100 percent Green-e certified and Carbon Neutral.

"Being green and buying virgin fiber aren't mutually exclusive," says Gabe Bolton, the U.S. Chain of Custody Coordinator for SmartWood, the certification arm of the Rainforest Alliance. "Virgin fiber is still a significant requirement. In fact, buying FSC Pure fiber can be a more environmentally friendly choice because you can't always know where post-consumer waste has come from. However, with fiber labeled FSC Pure, you can be assured of where it comes from - an FSC-certified forest."

Neenah is introducing an exciting addition to the brand, a "Soft Touch" finish that will be available in the Sirius and Natural colors on a 110 lb. basis weight Cover sheet. Joining the existing palette of four whites that includes Sirius (98+ brightness blue white), Tiara, Archiva and Natural, will be four pearlescent offerings: Stardust, Flash White, Flash Pearl and Flash Natural in both smooth and vellum.

"It wasn't that long ago that people thought offering this kind of paper would be very difficult to achieve," says Bolton. "The interest in FSC Pure papers is obviously growing. Neenah Paper has taken another commendable step forward in helping to protect the world's forests."

Why Virgin Fiber: Seeing the Forest for the Trees

Wood-based papers can only be recycled four times (1) before the fibers deteriorate, necessitating the use of virgin pulp.

According to Greg Maze, Senior Brand Manager for Neenah Paper, "We, as a country, recycle only about 51 percent of what we use. There is a shortage of paper that is recycled from post-consumer waste. That means we are ultimately dependent on the forests for paper. It takes approximately 480 trees to produce 40,000 pounds of virgin paper and those trees can filter 1.2 million pounds of carbon dioxide over their lifetime. Neenah views it as our responsibility to support efforts to ensure the replanting and reforesting of trees that are crucial to preventing climate change, combating air pollution and maintaining forest biodiversity, such as using FSC certified fiber."

Through its certification process, FSC works to independently verify that forests are well managed. The process evaluates social, environmental and economic factors involved in forestry operations and tracks the fiber that results through all steps of production (the chain of custody) until they reach the end-user. This ensures that only fiber meeting the stringent standards of the FSC are used in producing end products that proudly carry the label FSC Certified.

Carbon Neutral

As a member of the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX(R)), Neenah voluntarily committed to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by six percent below its baseline by 2010. The CCX is the world's first and North America's only voluntary but legally binding greenhouse gas emissions reduction, registry and trading program.

Neenah is exceeding target reductions and is offsetting 100 percent of the emissions associated with the manufacturing of STARWHITE(R) Papers, now a carbon neutral brand.

Green-e Certified

STARWHITE is also made entirely with renewable energy, which is an alternative to energy derived from fossil fuels such as wind, solar, low-impact hydro and biomass. Green-e is the nation’s leading independent certification and verification program for renewable energy products

Neenah Paper has committed to purchasing over 48 million kWh of Green-e certified renewable energy annually from the Wisconsin Energy Corporation subsidiary We Energies' Energy for Tomorrow program. By supporting its local utility, Neenah Paper is directly offsetting the production of electricity from fossil fuels in Wisconsin, growing the utility's renewable energy program, directly increasing demand for renewable energy resources and reducing local air pollution.

We Energies' is one of only nine utility renewable energy programs certified as Green-e in the country. For the fifth straight year, it has been ranked among the nation's top 10 green energy programs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

About Neenah Paper

Neenah Paper manufactures and distributes a wide range of premium and specialty paper grades, with leading positions in many of its markets and well-known brands such as CLASSIC(R), ENVIRONMENT(R), STARWHITE(R), NEENAH(R), ESSE(R) and other fine brand names. Neenah Paper is a proud consumer of Green Energy and is a U.S. EPA Green Power Partner. Neenah also manufactures many brands carrying the Green-E, Green Seal and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certifications. For more information, call 1-800-558-5061 and press "5" or visit the web site at www.neenahpaper.com.

(1) Jim Motavalli, The Paper Chase, http://www.emagazine.com/view/?1735, E/The Environmental Magazine online, May/June 2004, Volume XV, Number 3

Neenah Paper

Neenah Paper

For over 100 years, Neenah Paper (NYSE: NP) has been an innovative leader in the creation and manufacturing of premium and specialty papers. Neenah brings state-of-the-art technology to its signature brands, CLASSIC®, ENVIRONMENT®, STARWHITE®, NEENAH® and SUNDANCE®, as well as a host of other fine paper products preferred by graphic designers and printers. Neenah also has an exclusive partnership agreement with Crane & Company to manufacture, market and distribute Crane's fine business paper brands: CRANE'S CREST®, CRANE'S BOND®, CRANE'S LETTRA®, CRANE'S PALETTE™ and CRANE'S® Choice Papers. Neenah's award-winning and versatile digital papers round out its comprehensive portfolio. Neenah's sustainability commitment is reflected through the Neenah Green initiative, which includes mill-based solutions for minimizing environmental impact. A proud consumer of Green Energy, Neenah Paper is also a U.S. EPA Green Power Partner, and manufactures many brands carrying the Green-e, Green Seal and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certifications (SW-COC-000885). For more information, visit www.neenahpaper.com or call (800) 558-5061.

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