Newpage : PaperTellsAStory(.com) With "On Paper" Podcast

Corporate Social Responsibility Press Release

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8.19.2008 - 02:52pm ET

News from: Clean

Newpage : PaperTellsAStory(.com) With "On Paper" Podcast

(CSRwire) MIAMISBURG,OH. - August 19, 2008 - Now paper has a podcast. "On Paper" (listen at www.PaperTellsAStory.com/podcast) is a bi-weekly broadcast program exploring issues of sustainability as part of the 'Story' marketing campaign launched by NewPage Corporation in May. The informative campaign and Web site (www.PaperTellsAStory.com) was created to help educate consumers on the importance of knowing the manufacturing source of the paper used for their companies' business printing.

"Giving the same importance to paper as we do to the food we eat or the clothes we buy, the goal of the 'Story' campaign is to get people thinking about the journey of a single sheet of paper, where the journey begins, and the sustainability and environmental practices of its manufacturer," said Rick Willett, president and chief operating officer for NewPage. "As a leading paper manufacturer in the U.S. and Canada, we feel it's the responsibility of NewPage to dramatically raise awareness of the potential hidden risks associated with some Asian imports. A failure to ask some basic questions of your suppliers can lead to the very real potential that you are unknowingly importing a fair amount of risk along with your paper."

Imports of coated sheet-fed paper continue to make their way to market in the U.S and Canada. In an era of heightened environmental consciousness, NewPage wants its customers to know that some Asian imports also potentially carry a much higher degree of risk-by-association based on questionable sustainability and environmental practices, logistics issues and labor practices. It is equally important to know that the true identity and manufacturing practices of many Asian producers are obscured by the use of private labels, so consumers may not even be aware they are using imported paper.

North American paper manufacturers are required to comply with strict environmental regulations, such as those enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and operate in a manner that is responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable. Additionally, NewPage adheres to a number of third party certifications, including the Sustainable Forestry Initiative(R) (SFI) and Forest Stewardship Council(C) (FSC). NewPage buys wood fiber from private landowners and other certified, responsible loggers. NewPage does not source wood fiber from old growth forests, rainforests or forests of exceptional conservation value.

On the NewPage Web site, www.PaperTellsAStory.com, visitors are given several ways to interact with the site to learn more about the origin of their paper. A blog narrates issues of importance drawing lineages between the campaign message points and relevant news stories ripped from the headlines. The podcast, "On Paper," features interviews with notable professionals in the field of corporate responsibility, renewable energies, sustainable business trends and supply chain management.

"Just like educating consumers on the manufacturing source of paper products, someday we'll be able to know the fertilizer that was used to feed the grass that fed the cows that fed your guests at your summer barbeque, the supply chain impact will become a competitive advantage," said Joe Sibilia, CEO of CSRwire and recent guest of "On Paper."

For more information about NewPage, please visit the company's Web site at www.NewPageCorp.com.

About NewPage Corporation
Headquartered in Miamisburg, Ohio, NewPage Corporation is the largest coated paper manufacturer in North America, based on production capacity, with $4.7 billion in pro forma net sales for the year ended December 31, 2007. The company’s product portfolio is the broadest in North America and includes coated freesheet, coated groundwood, supercalendered, newsprint and specialty papers. These papers are used for corporate collateral, commercial printing, magazines, catalogs, books, coupons, inserts, newspapers, packaging applications and direct mail advertising.

NewPage owns paper mills in Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nova Scotia, and Wisconsin. These mills currently have a total annual production capacity of approximately 4.5 million tons of paper, including approximately 3.3 million tons of coated paper, approximately 900,000 tons of uncoated paper and approximately 300,000 tons of specialty paper.