AF&PA Announces 2005 Recycling Award Winners; Paper Industry Recognizes Outstanding Recycling Programs.

WASHINGTON -- The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) today announced the winners of its 2005 AF&PA Recycling Awards. The AF&PA Recycling Awards recognize outstanding individual, business and community paper recycling efforts. AF&PA established its recycling awards to support the paper industry's continuing efforts to increase the recovery of high-quality paper for recycling and achieve its aggressive goal to recover 55 percent of all paper consumed in the U.S. by 2012.

Recognizing an Individual

AF&PA's Ed Hurley Memorial Paper Recycling Award recognizes an individual who has had a significant and positive influence in advocating paper recycling. Through his work at Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation, and his tireless service to AF&PA, Ed Hurley was actively involved in the paperboard, containerboard, and recycling industries for 35 years. Mr. Hurley was a staunch advocate for paper recycling, and the award in his name is given to an individual similarly committed to promoting paper recycling. The 2005 recipient of this award is Judge Jack Jones of Jefferson County, Arkansas. Judge Jones' efforts in his community and local schools have increased awareness about paper recycling among students and community members.

Recognizing Businesses

The AF&PA Business Leadership Paper Recycling Awards recognize outstanding business recycling programs. The 2005 AF&PA Business Leadership Recycling Award recipients are Quad/Graphics of Sussex, Wisconsin, and Eureka Recycling of Saint Paul, Minnesota. As a result of Quad/Graphics' internal paper recovery programs, the company avoided $15 million in landfill costs in 2004. Eureka Recycling was recognized for delivering a cost-effective recycling program to more than 100,000 single and multi-family residences in Saint Paul and reinvesting every dollar in profit back into the community in the form of education and services.

Recognizing Communities

The AF&PA Community Paper Recycling Awards recognize communities that have successfully implemented paper recovery and recycling programs. The City of Clearwater Solid Waste and Recycling Department, Clearwater, Florida, and Oconee County Solid Waste, Seneca, South Carolina, are the 2005 AF&PA Community Recycling Award recipients. The City of Clearwater Solid Waste and Recycling Department designed a program directed at students and residents that raised awareness about paper recovery. As a direct result of this program, it avoided disposal costs of nearly $20,000 and generated revenue of more than $36,000 in the first year. Through its outreach in the community and schools, Oconee County Solid Waste has increased its residential recycling by 26 percent, which has resulted in a cost savings of nearly $35,000 in the last three years.

2006 AF&PA Recycling Awards

In 2006 AF&PA will recognize outstanding individual, business, community and school recycling programs. For detailed information about the 2005 award recipients and for 2006 award criteria and applications, please visit www.paperrecycles.org.

About AF&PA

AF&PA is the national trade association of the forest, paper and wood products industry. AF&PA represents more than 200 companies and related associations that engage in or represent the manufacture of pulp, paper, paperboard and wood products. The forest products industry accounts for approximately 7 percent of total U.S. manufacturing output, employs 1.5 million people, and ranks among the top 10 manufacturing employers in 42 states. Visit AF&PA online at www.afandpa.org or www.paperecycles.org.