NewPage To Accept Top 2013 AmeriStar Packaging Award For Sustainability

STEVENS POINT, Wis., June 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- NewPage Corporation (NewPage), a leading supplier of flexible packaging papers for food and medical packaging, announced today the receipt of the Institute of Packaging Professional's (IoPP) 2013 AmeriStar Sustainability Award for its new LittleFoot™ family of 100 percent compostable packaging barrier products.

Each year, the IoPP presents the prestigious AmeriStar Awards to leaders in the industry, recognizing excellence and innovation in packaging design. The AmeriStar Sustainability Award is a top honor, recognizing packaging that has scored high in reducing its impact on the environment, and includes evaluation of factors such as efficient energy usage, recycling efforts, effective use of packaging materials, material recovery, and the use of renewable raw materials.

LittleFoot™, an innovative new 100 percent compostable packaging laminate from NewPage, is made from renewable resources and was developed to offer oxygen and moisture barrier levels that are ideal for shelf stable food applications such as coffee, dry mixes, confections and energy bars. LittleFoot™ has an exceptional surface for printing, and integrates into existing converting equipment.

"We are honored to have received this top sustainability recognition from the IoPP," said Jim Sheibley, director, specialty papers business and product development for NewPage. "We look forward to exploring opportunities to commercialize our LittleFoot product in the months ahead through partnerships and licensing agreements with strategic brand owners and packaging converters who are striving to enhance their compostable packaging offerings."

AmeriStar Awards are judged based on packaging innovation, sustainability, protection, economics, performance and marketing. NewPage and other AmeriStar Award winners will be honored at the AmeriStar and Visionary Awards Ceremony, taking place Wednesday, June 19, 2013, at the EastPack packaging event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

For more information, visit www.WherePaperWorks.com.

About IOPP
The Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP) is the leading individual membership organization serving the educational needs of the packaging community.  It is committed to providing continuing educational programs of interest and value to all packaging professionals.  These programs cover all packaging related areas of business and technology, as well as fundamental principles.  The organization, its activities and operations support the development of the best possible packaging programs and events.  For more information please visit www.iopp.org.

About NewPage
NewPage is a leading producer of printing and specialty papers in North America with $3.1 billion in net sales for the year ended December 31, 2012. NewPage is headquartered in Miamisburg, Ohio, and owns paper mills in Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. These mills have a total annual production capacity of approximately 3.5 million tons of paper.

The company's portfolio of paper products includes coated, supercalendered and specialty papers. These papers are used in commercial printing to create corporate collateral, magazines, catalogs, books, coupons, inserts and direct mail as well as in specialty paper applications including beverage bottle labels, food and medical packaging, pressure-sensitive labels and release liners. To learn more, visit www.NewPageCorp.com.

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SOURCE NewPage Corporation